


Curiosity

by mildrice



Series: But Satisfaction Brought It Back [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Naruto
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Akatsuki!Cho, BAMF Cho Chang, BAMF Women, Badass Women, Canon-Typical Violence, Cho Chang-Centric, Crossover, Gen, POV Third Person Limited, PTSD Cho Chang
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-08 02:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15233145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mildrice/pseuds/mildrice
Summary: Unspeakable Cho Chang finds herself lost in a new world. Unprepared and unknown, she searches for home.





	1. Blink

**Author's Note:**

> This is the original _Satisfaction_ that I posted on FanFiction.net until November 2016.

It was with a drowsy awareness that Cho Chang realized she was utterly lost. This wasn't the first time that she'd woken up in a place other than her own bed, but waking up in a forest was certainly new. The air felt warm and humid, a stark contrast to the cold and damp of home.

The last thing she remembered was going to work at the Department of Mysteries. Cho worked in the Space Chamber now, as opposed to the Hall of Prophecy or the Room of Discovery before that. While her work wasn't as groundbreaking as the research of the Discovery Room, at least she no longer had to organize and file documents for endless orbs in the Hall of Prophecy.

The Space Chamber defied gravity, often allowing the Unspeakables inside it to float gently in the air. It was disorienting, but the soft hum of residual magic was always comforting in its own way. This style of disorientation where Cho was left lost, blinking, and confused was not comforting.

She removed her wand from her bun, in the process releasing her long black hair from its constraints. Cho cast Finite Incantatem, expecting the General Counter-Spell to remove any illusions or mental influences present. It wouldn't surprise her if Unspeakable Raven had convinced Unspeakable Croaker to test Cho again. Last time he'd hit her with a Confundus that made her think she was back in at the Battle of Hogwarts. She'd broken out of it eventually, but it had been more of a struggle than either of them could've expected.

Apparently, her appreciation for deepening her understanding of the intricacies of magic was a sign of maladaptive coping. Cho preferred to think of it as her search for truth in the world, her way of doing something because there wasn't any point to anything else.

Nothing changed when she cast the spell, however, leading her to believe that whatever this was, it was real. It was unfortunate, in her opinion, because she had no idea what to do in this situation. The last time she'd been in a forest was five years ago at the Battle of Hogwarts. She'd been so afraid then, but she wouldn't back down from fighting for her friends and family.

It was also unfortunate that of the people she'd rebelled for, Marietta was gone, her Mum and Da were gone, Cedric had been gone for years, and none of her other ex-boyfriends or ex-friends were worth mentioning anymore.

Without any other ideas about what was going on, Cho decided her next order of business was to find out when and where she was. While she doubted she'd actually travelled back in time, it was important to consider all the ways she could have ended up in an unfamiliar forest.

The forest was expansive, full of plants as far as Cho could see. She didn't recognize any of the surrounding foliage; as she'd been proficient at Herbology, the lack of familiar greenery suggested she was in a completely different biome. With this new information, Cho considered her options. Apparating could be dangerous to attempt depending on how far she was from home due to her average stamina. She didn't have a Portkey, and since it was illegal to make them unauthorised, she didn't trust herself to create one without prior studying. There certainly wasn't a Floo nearby for her to jump through and Cho didn't have her broom with her.

As she considered how unprepared she was for this type of situation Cho let out a sigh. She'd heard that some folks continued to stay battle-ready after the war; while it was hard for her to stop dwelling on the past and those who were no longer alive, she'd never acted upon that idea. She was an Unspeakable - no one outside of her boss knew who she was or what she did. Cho wasn't strongly connected with anyone; while she had participated in Dumbledore's Army and acts of resistance during Voldemort's Ministry, she wasn't a major player to the public like the Weasleys, Granger, Longbottom, Lovegood, or even Malfoy. She also lived in Muggle London, which made it unlikely that a Pureblood Fanatic would ever find her there.

A shrunken trunk or a bottomless bag full of supplies would've been extremely useful to have on her person. Instead, she had her work robes and court shoes, both highly inconvenient for anything besides bureaucracy and esoteric research. Cho wished she had her tools from the Room of Discovery on her, then she'd at least have some sharp tools to help her survive in this new place. Her nine N.E. meant nothing if she couldn't survive wherever she was. Still, she was thankful for her wand and decided to Transfigure her court shoes into more practical boots. She regretted the loss of her Jimmy Choos, but it was a sacrifice she'd have to make if she wanted to move around.

Once the Transfigured boots met her standards, Cho hemmed her work robes to mid-shin length with a Sticking Charm for better mobility. She then cast the Four-Point Spell, Point Me. Since Cho knew nothing about her surroundings, she'd come to the conclusion that going North until she met someone or something helpful was a decent plan. While not all Ravenclaws valued order, Cho did love a good list, so she catalogued everything she knew about her situation as she walked.

1\. The last thing she remembered was the Space Chamber

2\. Her current location was unknown

3\. She had all her body parts attached and she felt physically fine

4\. She didn't know how long she'd been in this new place (but she suspected it hadn't been long as the sunlight and shadows suggested it was still morning)

5\. She needed to find food and shelter (she didn't worry about water - Aguamenti was a lifesaver)

6\. She needed to find people to gain information (but cautiously - no breaking the International Statute of Secrecy or dealing with magical terrorists!)

7\. She needed to find out how to get back home

Sticks and twigs crackled under Cho's feet as she weaved her way through the forest. She didn't consider being stealthier because it wasn't something she had to worry about at home. When she suddenly sensed a malicious intent, Cho's pondering of her list came to an abrupt stop. Cho felt tense and afraid; the last time she'd felt this weak was when Voldemort had declared Harry dead.

"誰ですか?" asked an unfamiliar voice. Cho didn't understand what the person was saying.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Cho asked in English, hoping that it could serve as a lingua franca.

The sensation of deadly pressure increased in response to her questions. This person had such overwhelming power. While Cho couldn't see this mysterious person, she could feel their killing intent. It was so intense that she began to see her own death.

"あなたは外人," said the voice. Cho thought the language sounded vaguely familiar, but she was unable to place it in her progressively worrying state.

Feeling desperate Cho asked "你是谁？你想要什么?" in Mandarin, the only other spoken language she knew. It didn't help. The murderous intent seemed to increase further, leaving Cho unable to think as clearly as she wanted. She felt so powerless under this stranger. It was awful not having control of herself or her actions.

Cho liked to think that she'd done the best she could to cope with her various traumas. After Cedric's death, she'd joined Dumbledore's Army and learned how to defend herself. Once she graduated, she joined the Department of Mysteries as an Unspeakable to further her pursuit of knowledge. While the Department was compromised due to Voldemort's puppet Ministry, Cho did what she could to protect those she cared about. She knew that the supposed data proving Muggleborns stole magic was baseless, so she snuck as many Muggleborns as she could out of her flat near Charing Cross Road. Later that year she returned to protect Hogwarts and the future of magical Britain, fighting in that last battle with memories of Cedric and her parents leading her actions. After it all, she'd done her best to find a sense of normalcy by throwing herself back into work. She kept herself busy and she always managed to do something - so unlike her current setting!

Cho felt her eyes water, angry tears biting at her cheeks in frustration. While Cho didn't necessarily feel happy about her life, she still didn't want to die. She was better than this - she survived the Second Wizarding War! She was a brilliant researcher who was skilled in magic far beyond the average witch or wizard. The witch had moved past being the romantic write-off of heroes and rose above it all to reveal herself as a steadfast and determined individual. Yet here she was, legs shaking from this unknown force. Cho promised herself that if she somehow survived this encounter she'd take initiative and become strong enough to destroy future threats. As darkness began to creep over her vision Cho continued to struggle against her body's urge to give up. She would not lose to this stranger!

Suddenly, it all stopped with the sound of metal clashing against metal. Overcome by the sudden removal of imminent death, Cho fainted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> 誰ですか ? = Who are you?  
> あなたは外人 = You're a foreigner
> 
> 你是谁？你想要什么 = Who are you? What do you want?
> 
> AN: I'm not fluent in Japanese or Mandarin Chinese. The Japanese phrasings are purposefully informal/rude.
> 
> AN2: Edited 8/15/2016
> 
> AN3: Edited 9/15/2016
> 
> AN4: Posted to AO3 from FanFiction.net as of July 9th, 2018


	2. Daze

The ground was rough and cool beneath Cho's back. She sat up slowly, feeling dizzy. The witch felt disoriented at first, as she didn't recognize where she was. Then she realized she was still surrounded by trees, a stranger in this unfamiliar forest. Thankful for her survival, Cho knew she had to adapt to her new location. She needed to get out of this forest and more importantly, figure out how to communicate with the locals. She needed to be able to understand and converse with them - Cho didn't need any more traumatic first encounters in a single morning.

Spell creation was a high-risk skill that Cho was well acquainted with. Within specific confines of the Room of Discovery, she'd experimented with spells of her own. It was dangerous, complicated, and exactly what she needed to use to survive here. Of course, things could go pear-shaped quite easily if conducted with improper elements; she'd heard of Pandora Lovegood and her experiment with an unknown spell that killed her. On the other hand, Severus Snape had created at least six ingenious spells while still a student at Hogwarts. Her own history of developing spells based on Muggle scientific discoveries also demonstrated her capabilities in the subject.

Cho had been working on creating a General Translation Charm for eight months. The witch hadn't found an existing universal translation charm for spoken language when she'd first started her project. She theorized it was because, excluding the few old Pureblood families who emphasized the old languages, immigrant families, or the small number of Ministry Employees who worked in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, no one was interested in foreign languages.

She hadn't completed her practical application tests yet, but Cho felt confident in her calculations. Her initial research had her looking at older spells, ones that focused on finding hidden things or that had anything to do with language, written or spoken. She found that Aparecium or Specialis Revelio were both Revealing Charms that could be used to reveal almost all hidden things, including hidden writing. The wand movements for Specialis Revelio with an additional flick became her basic wand casting configuration after many Arithmancy calculations. The last time Cho had worked on the spell she concluded that Explico Lingua Aparecium, essentially meaning 'I unfold the tongue to appear,' was the best incantation to use. Finally, the intent to understand and share knowledge of a language after hearing it spoken by another was what completed the spell.

Desperation did often spur invention, and Cho decided to cast the spell and hope for the best. Her hair was down, reminding her that she'd last held her wand in hand. Yet, the comforting cherry wood wasn't resting in either of her palms. The witch searched through her robes, hoping she'd pocketed it before fainting. When she didn't find the wand, she felt a sense of dread. Cho knew some Ancient Runes for basic spell constructs, but she hadn't made a runic application of her General Translation Charm yet. So, she needed her wand to do magic.

Cho attempted to summon her wand with a focused Accio Wand and felt a small trickle of magic flow to her palm in response, but no wand appeared. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that magic was primarily intent-based. She needed that wand. Focusing on her need to survive, she summoned her wand. This time, the Accio was successful and her wand flew into her left hand, a warm tingle rushing through her body. Her wand, twelve inches of sturdy cherry wood and unicorn tail, had been a constant in her life since her eleventh birthday.

A cough drew Cho out of her delight. She'd been so focused on finding her wand that she hadn't given her surroundings more than a cursory glance. Cho stood up slowly, brushing the dirt off her robes, and turned around to face the source of the noise. It was a teen with dark hair and deep lines under his eyes. His eyes were cold and unyielding, giving him a sense of danger and mystery. Cho was confident in her Defensive magic, but she hoped she wouldn't have to fight him. The witch had no idea what his capabilities were and she didn't want to see children fighting. She'd seen enough children bleed before and it didn't need to happen today. Cho suspected he wasn't a Muggle as he wore what appeared to be a heavy, mid-shin length, high-collared black robe detailed with red clouds, but beyond that Cho didn't know anything about him.

" 私は、私たちの共通の敵からあなたを保存しました"

The witch decided to trust her prior calculations and prepared herself to cast the General Translation Charm. The chance that this boy was a Muggle seemed low, and it was proving even more important that she understood him clearly. She moved slowly, hands out in what she hoped was a universal sign of non-aggression. It didn't matter if she pointed her wand at the language speaker, rather, the intent and the presence of the fluent speaker would lead the spell. So, with her wand pointed towards the ground, Cho cast Explico Lingua Aparecium, her wand movement mimicking Specialis Revelio with an additional flick. Her mind was focused on the intent to understand and perform his language.

A dark blue vapor that slowly wound itself around her body as a result of her spell. When her spell didn't end in an explosion, Cho felt quite satisfied with herself. However, when the vapor cleared, the boy was gone from her line of sight. The witch hoped the spell hadn't adversely affected him - failure wasn't an option at this point in time. Cho only knew Episkey, a minor healing spell, so if he was wounded, his life expectancy severely dropped. Preparing herself to search for his remains, Cho was relieved when she heard his voice again, this time from above her.

"Do not attack or I will retaliate. What did that man want from you?"

Cho looked up and saw the boy perched on a tree branch, physically sound for all that she could tell. Her spell had worked with no overt side effects! The translated language felt stilted, but if the style was the only thing lost in translation, Cho felt like this was a wonderful start. She responded with a smile, hoping that she would sound just as coherent on his end.

"I'm Cho. I don't know why he attacked me; I've never seen him before in my life. Do you know who he was?"

He reappeared in front of her, his red eyes staring at her as if he was searching her very soul.

"He was Orochimaru, one of the Sannin. A missing-nin."

She was able to hear what was being said, but his words didn't make sense. Missing-nin? Sannin? A snake guy from Japanese mythology? Deciding to play it cool, Cho said the only safe thing that came to mind.

"Thank you for saving me. I thought I was going to die."

"Hn. I was in the area. He probably wanted to figure out why your chakra feels wrong."

Chakra? Was she in India? But if so, why would this man be talking about Japanese folklore? Cho needed a moment to think. Either way, this was not what she imagined when she thought of Indian natives. Padma and Parvati Patil had ancestral roots in Maharashtra, India, and this boy looked nothing like them. Cho hoped her translation spell wasn't having difficulty providing accurate translations for the words being exchanged. Having both of them hear but not understand the other could be problematic.

"Why would my chakra be interesting?"

"Your chakra feels like a void. Orochimaru wants to understand all the techniques of the world. He would want to study you, to see if it's a Kekkei Genkai, or to replicate it."

Cho was a bit over her head in this conversation. It surprised her because she prided herself on knowing things. She'd heard of Qi, a life energy that flowed through channels in the body since her Mum had used Traditional Chinese Medicine just as often as she used potions from the Apothecary. However, she'd never known about anyone who could actually sense Qi without touching the person, and even then there wasn't much hard evidence to back up any of the claims.

"I don't know why that is. All I know is that I woke up in this place, got attacked by someone, fainted, and then woke up here."

The teen stared at her, an odd look on his face. Cho thought he looked a bit like Snape did whenever he had an especially stupid Hufflepuff in class. She restrained herself from smiling at the nostalgia his visage brought.

"You claim you have amnesia?"

Amnesia seemed like the easiest explanation since Cho still didn't know exactly what brought her here, or why it happened.

"Yes, yes I do. I think?"

He still looked skeptical. It was amazing how he could look so passive, yet also so disdainful.

"What is the significance of the stick you're holding? Where did it come from? Is it a weapon?"

Cho froze for a moment when he didn't recognize her wand. She didn't think he was a Muggle, but the only wandless magic users she knew of would've recognized the English language and wanded magic. The witch wondered what she could say without violating the International Statute of Secrecy. He moved so quickly she doubted she'd be able to cast an effective Obliviate so her options seemed pretty limited.

"It feels safe...I just know I need it. It feels like family." Cho felt like a six-year-old justifying her wand as if it was a comfort blanket or a favorite toy. Clearly, she needed remedial training as an Unspeakable if she was having this much trouble evading probing questions.

After another odd look, he shrugged and moved to walk away. He moved with confidence, turning his back towards her; it was as if the teen knew that he could destroy her at will. After a few steps, he paused and turned to look at her again.

"I'm Uchiha Itachi. I suggest you follow me at least until we reach a village for your own safety."

While Cho didn't trust Uchiha, she also knew that he was a way out of her current circumstance. Shaking herself off, she began to walk briskly after him.

Cho was relieved to be free from the forest. While it was less intimidating than the Forbidden Forest, the lack of familiarity had left her feeling disheartened. As she continued to follow the boy, she realized that Uchiha had slowed his pace to accommodate her movement. Since she was breathing heavily just from the brisk pace and warm temperature, Cho needed to get back in shape. The teen was frustratingly graceful and it was more irritating that Cho wanted to admit to herself. She'd once been so good at Quidditch, Oliver Wood had supposedly wished injury on her. It wouldn't do to have her so breathless after some minor exertion.

When they finally reached the edge of a village, the teen paused outside the gates, giving Cho a chance to catch her breath and fix her appearance. The witch decided to turn away from him and wandlessly cast a minor glamour on her face and hair. It wasn't blatantly obvious, but just enough that she didn't look too wild or out of sorts. She decided to leave her robes and boots as they were because it would be too noticeable to change them, as well as impractical with the dirt paths. The pair hadn't passed anyone else during their journey so the witch didn't know if her clothes would blend in. Hopefully, she would, but if not, at least her robes were less flashy than Uchiha's were. Ready to face the village, Cho turned back around to face the boy.

"Thank you for leading me here. Will we be parting ways now?" She hoped he wouldn't leave her to face the village by herself, but he'd already done her a great favour by leading her out of the forest.

"Not unless you want me to."

Cho hadn't talked to someone this much in a long time. It was nice not having to do everything by her lonesome.

"Thank you for your kindness."

"Hn." He turned and walked to the gate, presumably doing all that was needed to get in. Following him, they entered the village.

The village was quaint and bustling with activity like Diagon Alley. It made Cho think of home, and how she needed a new set of quills and parchment. Her translation spell only influenced spoken words, not written ones, so the signs around the shops remained untranslated. Cho recognized some of the characters, however, her familiarity with Asian languages enough to recognize Japanese. She felt a bit dull for not realizing it sooner, but perhaps the intimidating nature of Orochimaru could explain away her initial confusion.

While Cho wasn't extremely knowledgeable about Japanese Muggle or magical culture, she was still aware enough to notice that this place was different from the Japan she knew of. There appeared to be items that used electricity, but there no cars or airplanes. The air lacked the noise and smog of industry as well. It felt less crowded, giving a more relaxed atmosphere than she would expect. It was as if someone had combined a magical section of a city with a Muggle side and formed an odd blend of the two.

As Cho soaked in her surroundings, she continued to be surprised by the Japanese-esque village. People had more brightly colored hair and facial tattoos than she'd seen in Muggle London! It didn't seem to be a counterculture style, though, especially since Cho noticed mothers and children with similar flashy features. She wanted to ask Uchiha more but didn't know how to phrase it without making him too suspicious of her origins. Cho decided then that when she got back home she was going to ask Unspeakable Croaker to set up protocols for Unspeakables who found themselves in foreign lands. Having a guide to deal with her situation would've been so helpful.

"Do you recognize anything?" Uchiha's voice interrupted her wandering mind.

"No."

"Follow me."

The various shop owners seemed in awe of the Uchiha. Cho couldn't tell if it was fear or respect that made them respond this way. He was clearly not an adult and he hadn't hit the peak of his growth spurt yet, but the teen carried himself in a way that commanded attention. The teen had the look that Harry had when Voldemort returned; brooding with a sense of great power and an edge of instability.

No one appeared to be wearing robes like Cho and the Uchiha, however. The people wore a mix of many other designs, with utilitarian mesh and flak jackets interspersed with casual kimonos instead. Some wore metal and cloth bands like Uchiha did, though the varying patterns lacked the same slash that his had. All these clothing choices had to have a deeper meaning, Cho just didn't know what they were

"Do you recognize anything now?" Uchiha pointed out various weapons, none of which Cho had ever used. She shook her head.

"What about these?" It looked like a selection of bandages, pills, and other medical materials.

"Not really. I know those are weapons and medical supplies, but they don't hold any significance for me." Cho didn't know what he wanted her to say. She knew almost nothing about this world. As if to further her embarrassment, her stomach gurgled.

Uchiha looked down at her. "It appears food is what we need now. Let me finish here, then we'll eat."

Cho smiled in agreement. Today had been so busy she hadn't noticed how hungry she'd gotten. She'd remembered to note its importance on her mental list, but with all the excitement it had slipped her mind. Being in this world made her feel like she'd devolved from an established researcher to a naive child.

Their meals were simple, comprised of grilled fish, white rice, miso soup, some pickles, and green tea. Cho didn't have any money on her, and she didn't recognize the currency, ryō, either. She hoped that it hadn't been irritating for Uchiha to pay for her as well. It didn't feel right taking money from a teenager. Cho was grateful, though; she couldn't cook and she lived alone, so having this healthy meal was a nice change from greasy take-away and pub food.

After they finished eating, Uchiha pointed her towards a clothing store and handed her some coins as well.

"I need to take care of something. I've been told women like to shop, so please stay here until I return."

While feeling slightly like a small child who'd just been corralled into daycare, Cho nodded her head after deciding that following his instructions seemed practical. She didn't know how much money he'd given her, so she doubted she'd actually buy something, but it would be good to see what the locals wore.

"Welcome to Yuri's, how may I help you?"

"I'm just looking, thank you." As Cho wandered through the store, she wondered if she should tell Uchiha about her magic. After seeing more of the village, she was sure that this was an entirely different world, most likely an entirely different universe. She suspected Uchiha had some sort of magic of his own, and it would be useful to have an ally. She thought about the pros and cons of telling the truth. If he took it well and believed her, she'd have a resource in this confusing world. If he didn't believe her it could be dangerous - while she could survive a Witch Burning with a Flame-Freezing Charm, it wouldn't be a fun experience and she'd likely be on the run for as long as she remained here.

Before Cho came to a conclusion Uchiha returned from whatever he had to do. She couldn't tell what he was feeling from his face or his body language. The teen would make a good Unspeakable with his stoic nature.

"I had to talk to my boss, my apologies for making you wait."

"Oh no, it's fine." Cho wondered how the teen had communicated with his boss. Did he work in this village? Were there telephones here? She didn't see any post owls and doubted there'd be a Floo anywhere in this world. The witch had so many questions about this world and so few answers.

The two left the shop in silence, Cho following Uchiha wherever he was planning on going.

"My boss would like to meet you."

Cho thought that it was odd for a person to want to see her. It wasn't as if she was a known entity in this strange place. After considering the statement further, the witch wondered if they knew about magic and had sensed her arrival.

"Alright," she replied. If this person wanted to meet her it was probably best to comply. She didn't want to make enemies and if they accepted her and her magic, she could gain more people to help her find her way back home.

"Good. We'll leave now so we can arrive before dark."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:  
> 私は、私たちの共通の敵からあなたを保存しました = I saved you from our common enemy.
> 
> AN: I'm not fluent in Japanese or Latin.
> 
> AN2: Edited 9/15/16
> 
> AN3: Posted to AO3 from FanFiction.net as of July 9th, 2018


	3. Bound

As the two continued on their journey towards Uchiha's employer, Cho observed the changing weather. While it was still pleasantly warm, the sunny sky was becoming dotted with clouds. She wondered if this was because it was becoming later in the day, or because their new location would have different meteorological conditions. Cho didn't think that there'd be too much of a shift seeing as they couldn't have been walking for more than three hours so far, but it was still interesting to note.

The witch was glad that her body was naturally more durable than a Muggle's. She doubted that a typical Muggle researcher could've lasted walking so far without regular exercise. Cho knew she had to build up her stamina, though, if she was to continue being around Uchiha, especially if he was the norm for the people he worked with. While she hadn't complained about the distance or her sore feet, the teen seemed hyper-aware of her physical capabilities, which were unfortunately far behind his.

Almost as if he was aware of what she was thinking, Uchiha said: "We'll be there soon."

Cho gave him a nod and a smile, appreciating the new information. She hoped that she'd be given time to refresh herself before meeting Uchiha's boss - she wanted to make a good first impression. Dinner would be wonderful too. Thinking back on the delicious food she had for lunch, Cho was reminded of how important it was for her to find some source of income. It wouldn't do to be so dependent on a near stranger.

She continued her ponderings as the pair walked to the unspecified location. Cho was still thinking through various possibilities when she realized the sun had been replaced by grey storm clouds. The air felt cool as if it was about to rain. She looked to Uchiha, a question on her lips when he spoke.

"We're almost there."

She hoped it wouldn't rain until they were safe and dry inside wherever this place was. Cho liked the look of rain, she just didn't like the feel of it. She was spoiled by the Impervius Charm and the way it allowed her to move around without getting drenched. Unfortunately for the witch, she was currently trying to be subtle about the whole magic thing, as she suspected that chakra was very different from magic.

Cho had clearly hoped too much as the rain came down in torrents. She felt her hair plaster itself to her skull and she shivered. The witch was ready for a Hot-Air Charm, warm blankets, and a hot cup of tea. The location Uchiha pointed out through the rain, a large cave likely lacked all of those comforts. Cho reminded herself to stay pleasant, even without her preferred means of dealing with the rain. She was in an unknown place with unknown rules. Cho had to be cautious and respectful.

"We'll be meeting Leader and Konan."

"What are they like?"

"Many call him a God, and her, his Lady Angel."

Cho didn't believe in gods or goddesses. Not very many witches or wizards did either. Magic brought its own significance, and while there were individuals who felt connected to an older, more spiritual aspect of magic, most just followed Christian holidays for the excuse to eat good food among friends and family. After all, the 'magic' of consumerism wasn't exclusive to Muggles.

"How...how should I behave around them? How do I address them?"

"You may refer to them as 'Konan' and 'Leader.' Follow my lead, stay calm, and answer their questions truthfully."

Cho wondered if an omission of information would be seen as unfavorably as lying could be. She doubted that the Statute of Secrecy applied in this world, but she didn't know how she could explain the force that was magic. As they entered the cave, Cho tried to prepare herself for whatever could happen.

The cave itself was more structurally unique than Cho had anticipated. It wasn't just an earthen hovel. The ceiling was high enough for most humans to stand upright and free of stalactites. Someone had placed torches throughout the area, allowing the flames to provide flickering light through the open space. As they continued further inside, the area divided into what seemed to be different chambers. Cho was reminded of burrowing creatures and some of the intricate tunnel systems they'd create in nature. While obviously created by humans, this place was quite interesting to see.

She followed the teen deeper through a tunnel, walking behind him until he suddenly stopped. He turned around, giving a pause.

"I will enter first and give you time to rest before meeting them."

Cho was glad Uchiha was considerate of her needs. She had been steeling herself to face whatever this 'Leader and Konan' wanted from her, but having time to brush off some tension was much appreciated.

"Thank you. Is there a place where I could wash my face?"

Uchiha silently leads her to a room adjacent to the place he had just stopped. He gestured while speaking, "There is the washbasin, pitcher, and hand towels. When you are finished, return to our previous location. I will then introduce you."

Cho gave a small smile in thanks. It was too bad that the cave lacked indoor plumbing, and that she'd had to relieve herself earlier in some shrubbery, which was mortifying, but she'd make do. Once the teen left, she looked in the small mirror, trying to figure out what she should prioritize, and what she could fix without being too obvious. She wanted to dry herself off completely but knew it'd be too obvious. Looking around, before deciding it was all clear, she peeled off her robes and stood in front of the mirror. Her skin was damp and she hadn't worn any Muggle clothes underneath her robes to work that day. So, she did what she could to fix the situation. Cho dried herself and her undergarments off with the Hot-Air Charm and then wrung out her robe to the best of her ability. It was still damp and gross but would be less horrible now that it wasn't completely soaked. Washing her face, she was glad to feel clean again. Finally, she twisted her hair up into a bun, securing it with her wand.

She was as ready as she could be. Cho put her robes back on and made her way back to the entrance of the other chamber. Uchiha was waiting there for her, his stance as calm and unreadable as it always seemed to be. He walked into the room, motioning for her to follow him.

The room had two people standing in the center. Both were quite tall and had very distinctive appearances. The man had orange hair and what seemed to be a couple dozen piercings on his face. The woman had blue hair with a paper flower tucked into it. They both wore the same dramatic cloaks as the Uchiha.

"Leader, Konan, this is Cho. Cho, this is Leader and Konan." The teen gestured between them all, a polite go-between.

"You aren't from here," said the man. His eyes were ringed and purple. He had a presence that commanded attention and full-frontal honesty.

"...No. I'm not." Cho took this to mean more than just her being from a different village, or cave dwelling. This man somehow knew that she wasn't from this place at all. Uchiha had noticed that she was different as well. She hoped it due to her chakra void more than any other reason.

"I am Pain."

Cho wondered if her spell was having issues again - would she need to constantly reapply it? Would a different arrangement be more successful? This man just called himself Pain. Why would anyone name their child Pain? It had to be a chosen name, like Voldemort, right? After all, it wasn't like someone decided to name their kid 'flight from death' just for kicks.

"... and I'm Cho."

"Yes, I would assume so, since that was how Itachi introduced you."

Apparently, the pierced man had a hint of snark to go along with his imposing stance.

"I'm sorry, sir, but what exactly do you want from me? He brought me here because he said you were interested in meeting me."

"I want you to tell me more about the world you come from."

Cho tried to keep her face calm as the man point blank called her out on her alternate dimension travel. She'd recently come to the conclusion that she was in an entirely new world, but the witch wasn't sure how much she should share with him.

"My world? What do you mean?"

He gave her a disappointed look. "You clearly aren't from any of the Elemental Nations. While you may physically look like a civilian from some of the lands, especially the Land of Fire, your behavior is unlike a civilian, a shinobi, or even a samurai.

"As a God, I'm aware that you aren't from here. However, I know nothing about your place of origin."

"I'm from London." That seemed tame enough. It was true as well.

"And what did you do in this, London?"

"I was part of a research division of the government there," also a valid statement.

"Were there wars, there?"

"Five years ago, there was, yes"

"Is there peace now?"

Officially there was peace. The war ended when the Dark Lord lost. However, all the tensions that brought about the war in the first place were still there - Cho felt as if a conflict was inevitable in the near future.

"...Yes"

"Do you really believe that?"

Cho didn't know. Thankfully, the man took her silence as needing more prompting.

"Have you known loss, the pain of losing loved ones?"

Cho was immediately on the defensive. As if that wasn't a personal question at all - 'Hello stranger, let me call myself a pain God and then ask you about your experiences with loss.'

"Yes."

"I thought so. I can see it in your eyes. You've felt it."

Cho blinked at him, startled. Was she that easy to read?

"Human behavior leads to strife. We justify and we face meaningless situations, furthering suffering."

She didn't disagree, but Cho didn't know what he wanted her to say.

Uchiha cut in, "I've seen you do things with that stick you hold which no one else can do. You obviously have some sort of power."

Cho needed to work on her subtlety, clearly.

"Elaborate Uchiha - you told me a little about her, but details are useful." Cho looked at the pair, finding the blue-haired woman to be as critical in her examinations of Cho as she was of the two of them.

"I saw her call the stick to herself in a strange language and it jumped into her hand. She then spoke in the unknown language and was surrounded by a blue mist. After, she was able to speak with me like she understood, contrary to her previous behavior. She also appeared to fix her appearance and gain more energy before entering the village and again prior to entering this room." The boy looked tired as if speaking this much was physically painful for him.

Cho apparently had even less subtlety than she'd originally thought. There was obviously a reason she spent her time in the dark recesses of archives and labs. She'd never done fieldwork as an Unspeakable, and her lack of experience showed.

"Is that all you can do? Were you the only one?" The Leader continued his line of questioning.

"No, I can do more." Cho wasn't sure how much she should actually share, so she decided to keep the rest of her answers as brief as possible. She wondered if she'd be seen as more of a threat if she was one of many, or solely a powerful individual.

"Fascinating."

Pain seemed intent on asking personal questions while Konan watched over the proceedings. Uchiha also just observed, his eyes observing all as the group continued to talk. Cho felt like a particularly interesting specimen being poked and prodded at. She missed her lab already.

Cho wasn't prepared for this journey, but she was ready to try. With each answer she gave that night, she grew both more comfortable, assured that she wouldn't be killed for being an alien, and more unsettled; becoming completely aware that she was somewhere she should not be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Edited 9/15/16
> 
> AN2: Posted to AO3 from FanFiction.net as of July 9th, 2018


	4. Reshape

When Cho was finally released from Pain's questioning, the events of her busy day set in and she felt exhausted. Once directed towards a sleeping pad, she flopped down and fell asleep without further regard for her surroundings.

The next morning, Cho awoke to the realization that she still lacked adequate information about her situation. She'd been in this world for a full day but had more questions than answers. The witch knew Pain had extended an invitation for her to stay, but she didn't know what the socially acceptable length for her to remain was. After all, she was a fascinating anomaly, but once she stopped being able to provide new information… Cho didn't want to think about the potential results. It was too early in the day to think about negative endings.

As she sat up and looked around, Cho was surprised by the lack of natural light. Her surroundings were so well-lit that she'd almost forgotten where she was. Someone had left a pile of clothes near her right side, and Cho was relieved to see the clean items. Her robes weren't meant for heavy traveling and it was nice to have something more suitable for her surroundings to wear instead. She put on the cropped trousers and the sleeveless tunic, surprised by how comfortable they all were. In addition, there were some black sandals and a set of robes, black with red clouds, just like she'd seen the others wear.

Once dressed with her wand tucked safely in her bun, Cho exited the small chamber, ready to survive another day. She was hungry and hoped she'd find Uchiha so he could lead her to some food. Instead, after following one of the weaving tunnels, she found the blue-haired woman, calmly drinking tea and folding various origami creatures. Konan invited Cho to join her, and Cho readily agreed, sitting near the serious woman.

Cho found Konan to be very beautiful. She carried herself with a sense of dangerous grace and a calmness that promised intense depths. The witch knew little about her powers beyond that she was within the upper levels of the organization. While Konan had barely spoken the previous night, Cho had observed how much Pain trusted her. Konan was the second-in-command of this group, the Akatsuki, as well as the extension of Pain's will throughout Amegakure.

Konan handed Cho a piece of paper. "Are you acquainted with origami?"

Cho took the paper, sensing that it'd be disrespectful to refuse. "I've made a few paper cranes before, under the guidance of a friend."

"I favor flowers and butterflies myself. Here, let me show you."

With that, Konan guided Cho through the basic motions of folding a rose, making sure Cho understood how to shape the petals with twisting maneuvers. The witch painstakingly followed Konan's instructions while trying to think of what questions she could ask her.

"Konan, as I might've mentioned last night, robes are the traditional clothing choice for witches and wizards. Yesterday, I noticed that only Uchiha and I wore robes of any design. Is there a reason why the Akatsuki wear robes? They're very comfy, along with all the other clothing items I'm wearing today, which I'm quite thankful for, but I was just wondering why..."

Konan paused her folding, "The red clouds on our robes represent the wars which bloodied Amegakure. Ame is constantly raining and these robes help shelter us from it. They also remind us of the sacrifice of those before us and our own goals, as well as being imposing."

Resuming her folding, she asked, "Why a wand? You briefly covered that you need the wand to use almost all types of magic, but you also said there are many aspects of magic."

Cho took a moment to think out her response. While her job was to find the deeper intricacies of magic, she also knew that trying to describe and understand magic often defied logic and reason. "Well, with a wand I have a focus, a connection that allows me to channel my intent. There's a sense of control that allows standardized results rather than just flinging out my desires and hoping the universe accepts my demands."

Konan nodded her head, looking pensive as she folded a small butterfly. "We, the Akatsuki, are a group trying to bring about peace in this world of cyclical violence. Pain thinks you can assist us in our goals."

"That's an admirable goal. I don't know why I would be of use, however."

"You've lived through a war before - you understand the destruction they can cause."

"Yes, but I don't know how I could assist you. I know almost nothing about your world; everything is different!"

"The Akatsuki is small. Pain and I are the only individuals remaining from the original resistance. We are less naive than we once were, and have members in our group who don't necessarily adhere to our goals. We are mercenaries, building up funds and destabilizing the Five Great Shinobi Nations more and more each year.

Konan gave a small sigh before continuing her justification. "You are a neutral resource, someone with clear eyes who can see our world without the ingrained assumptions all of us carry. Your magic could provide solutions that our various jutsus cannot, and vice versa."

Cho thought back to her experience in Dumbledore's Army. They hadn't fought for peace, if anything, they were fighting for themselves. She fought for her right to defend herself and for her ideals that ran contrary to the unjust government which sought to silence them. Peace was an abstract concept that Cho appreciated, but had never thought about on a deeper level. She spent most her time submerged in dark rooms and long texts, seeking esoteric knowledge and answers to countless mysteries. Nowadays when she did take action, it was in her experiments around magic and its many connections.

"So, I'm allowed to stay here because you need me, or at least you think you need me, as much as I need you."

"I believe in Pain and the change he will bring. We are willing to shape the world to achieve what needs to be done."

With that, the direction of their current conversation was brought to a conclusion, and the two went back to calmly folding paper. They shifted back to lighter subjects, with Konan giving a general overview of historical events and social guidelines to Cho. The witch tried to absorb as much information as she could - there were so many things to know, from both civilian and ninja perspectives!

Partway through describing the various topographical details of the many diverse countries, Konan tilted her head, pausing her explanation. "Pain needs me. Thank you for sharing your morning with me. If you head left from here you'll find a small room with basic food rations, as I assume you'd like to eat. I hope we can continue this another time." With that, she turned and left the room, leaving Cho with an origami flower.

Cho wondered how Konan knew Pain needed her. Was it like the Protean Charm that Dumbledore's Army used to communicate with one another? From what she could tell so far, while there seemed to be some similarities between magic and chakra in their application, the execution and theory were vastly different. It would be interesting to compare a magical being and a ninja at various milestones to see how their bodies diverged. Relating to that train of thought, the witch still needed to figure out her chakra void. From what she had learned, everything in this world had chakra. For her to have an absence of chakra was an unknown factor as everyone relied on chakra, even civilians. Cho hypothesized that if a Muggle were to somehow land in this world they wouldn't survive because they lacked both chakra and magic. She supposed her magic made up for the absence of chakra coils and allowed her to survive.

Cho's stomach grumbled, so she tucked the paper flower in her bun alongside her wand and went to go find something to eat. Cho hoped the rations weren't too horrible. While she could transform the food into something more palatable, that type of Transfiguration would only change the flavor profile, and did little for the nutritional value. Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration could be so frustrating. Magic rarely had limits, but when it did, the rules were very rigid.

Upon sampling, the nutritional bar she found tasted like cardboard, so Cho decided to change it to a more pleasing strawberry. The sweet taste of artificial pink filled her mouth and Cho gave herself a mental pat on the back. She'd probably become sick of these bars within a week as she only knew how to mimic five flavors, but it was a good enough start for now. It looked like there were some Meals Ready to Eat if she got desperate, but she hoped there'd be some fresher options in the near future.

Cho decided her morning had been a success so far. She'd learned more about the Akatsuki, gotten more acquainted with Konan, and eaten something. The witch was told she could leave the cave as long as she stayed within the view of an Akatsuki member. For future reference, she'd also been informed that the Akatsuki rarely gathered in the same location at the same time. She knew for a fact that Uchiha was still here, though, as she'd learned last night that he had yet to be assigned a partner. With that in mind, Cho walked through the tunnels with purpose once more - she was going to keep learning more about her situation in any way she could and the teen was next on her list.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Edited 9/15/16
> 
> AN2: Posted to AO3 from FanFiction.net as of July 9th, 2018


	5. Growth

As Cho wandered through the Akatsuki base, she reflected on her current situation. Last week, if someone had told Cho that she'd end up in a different world instead of going to work, as usual, she'd have dismissed them as overreaching in Divination. Yesterday had been such a whirlwind of new information; it was hard to believe that everything here was real. Magic was, well, magical, but the many applications of chakra were also amazing.

Something about the Akatsuki seemed off, so Cho was wary of committing to them too soon. Why would they welcome a complete stranger with unknown skills into their group so easily? Why was their base in a cave? How did they intend to create peace?

Cho found Uchiha just outside of the cave's entrance. He appeared to be practicing some sort of martial art. She watched him move, impressed by the gracefulness of his actions. Quidditch training was a sport, not an art form. Here, she saw athleticism brought to a whole new level. Even though it was drizzling outside, he seemed to practice with such intense dedication that the rain itself couldn't bother him.

She felt like a first year again, aware of some aspects of the world at large, but still in awe of all its potential. Cho didn't consider herself particularly unhealthy, but her level of physical fitness was nowhere near the abilities of Uchiha from what she'd seen. If she was going to be of any use for the Akatsuki she would have to get stronger. She may not trust the intentions of the Akatsuki as a whole, but they were her best option thus far. So, Cho decided that once the boy was done, she'd ask him for suggestions on where to start. She would go for a run, but she didn't know the area and doubted that she'd be left alone.

The Uchiha paused his exercises, turning to look back at Cho. He didn't look surprised to see her and he walked towards her.

"Do you need something?"

"I would like to improve my physical fitness. I know that I need to be supervised as I'm still an unknown factor, but seeing you, and the events of yesterday, made me realize that I can't just rely on magic to survive here."

Cho hoped that he'd agree, or at least have some sort of guidance for her. She would've asked Konan, but after learning about her obligations in Ame, the teen seemed like a better choice. He looked like he was considering her request at least.

"I will help you train yourself physically in exchange for knowledge of your skills."

"I don't know if you can perform magic, but I'm willing to try!" Cho felt eager to start. She'd been a tutor for some of the younger students at Hogwarts, but she'd never had to start from the pure basics before. It'd be a good challenge for both of them, she hoped.

The two spent the rest of the morning getting acquainted with Cho's current physical abilities. He had her run as fast as she could, and then for as long as she could through the sodden ground. Cho also performed as many push-ups and sit-ups that she could do. The teen tested her ability to throw and dodge weapons as well.

"I...have so much to... work on" Cho wheezed.

"Yes, you do. But there is nothing wrong with that." Uchiha had a wistful look on his face, confusing Cho. She was too tired to think on that anymore, though, so she dismissed it as unimportant. Once she caught her breath, she realized how hungry she was.

"I'll try and teach you about magic once I get some food in me!"

The first aspect of magic Cho demonstrated to Uchiha was Transfiguration. She took two of the nutritional bars and made them taste like chocolate and cherry respectively.

"So your spell changed the food?" He looked at the chocolate bar suspiciously.

"The nutritional value is still that of the original ration bar. I've instead changed the way it appears and simulated a different flavor. Magic can't make food out of nothing, but it can shift the way we perceive it."

Cho nibbled on her artificial cherry ration bar and smiled as the teen finally decided to take a bite of the chocolate bar. She'd put more effort into transforming his meal, wanting to impress upon him the possibilities that magic allowed.

"It's good." The boy looked surprised.

"I'm not a great cook, but I can mimic sweets fairly well."

"Could you explain this Transfiguration more?"

Settling into lecture mode, Cho did her best to describe the basic laws of Transfiguration, and then gave examples of the differing types. The boy was an excellent student, paying attention to everything she said, and asking relevant questions. It helped that many aspects of Transfiguration were theory based, as it focused on the art of changing the properties of things.

"Human Transfiguration sounds dangerous and impractical."

"It's true that if a witch or wizard transfigures themselves into an object or animal that they obtain the level of intelligence of said item or animal. Typically that branch of Transfiguration is only dealt with by foolish idiots or practiced Masters on a more theoretical level. There are those with innate abilities to transform themselves, such as Animagi, or Metamorphmagi who can shift into a specific animal or alter their physical appearance at will. Those cursed with Lycanthropy, whose bodies are forcefully altered as werewolves also fall under Human Transfiguration.

"Elements of Human Transfiguration are important to consider, however. It reminds us of how we are limited by the mass and size of various entities, and how even with magic, we aren't infallible. I've also read essays that hypothesized how humans could accentuate aspects of their body composition."

They continued the lessons in a similar manner, covering the main four aspects of Transfiguration: Transformation, Vanishment, Conjuration, and Untransfiguration. The two didn't realize nightfall had come until interrupted by Konan.

"I bought us dinner. Let's all eat in the main area."

Dinner was simple, consisting of rice and soup, but it was refreshing all the same. The dinner conversation was heavier, however.

"Cho, the Akatsuki is more than just the three of us here in a cave. We're an organization that will change the world. I know your skills could thrive with us, so the question is, are you willing? And if so, how far will you go?"

Pain spoke with an intensity that emphasized his status as Leader. Cho respected the man for having such a strong belief in his ideals but still wasn't sure of a permanent decision either way. She'd only had two days to acquaint herself with the surroundings, and almost all of her time had been guided by the Akatsuki. Peace was a wonderful goal; she just didn't know if she cared enough to make it happen if it was even possible at all.

"I'm not good at making moral decisions. I don't put faith in many things but myself. I've done cruel things to protect myself and the ones I loved. I've been told I care too much, and that I'm too soft. I've tried to fix those parts of myself, but I'm not on your level."

"What are you trying to say?" asked Konan. Cho felt like her gaze was too piercing, too close to home.

"I don't think I should be a full member of your organization. I can help where I can, and I'll share as much information as I can. But, I'm not strong enough, nor capable enough to survive on my own in this world, and I don't think you should just let me in -"

Cho gulped, wondering if she was making the situation worse for herself. These people were dangerous. They felt ruthless, no matter how kind they'd been so far. She felt indebted and didn't want that to shape her entire existence. If she joined them, would she, could she ever go home? If she refused, would she survive another day?

"... I don't trust myself." She didn't trust them further than she could throw any of them either, and that distance was awfully short. "I can't tell you what to do, but I don't know where I fit in the grander scheme of things"

"I am aware of the fact that many of our members have goals outside of mine. That isn't a concern. I know more than you may realize. You already wear our cloak and know of its significance. Join us."

Since she'd only had two days since she landed in this world, and less than one day to consider the Akatsuki, Cho knew she didn't have a solid alternative. Allowing the group to guide her while she existed in this world would be freeing; she wouldn't have to worry about her survival every moment. Something about them felt like a disaster waiting to happen, though. Was it better to pick a known or unknown danger? At least Cho was used to working around less than perfect conditions. Resolving herself, she made a decision.

"I don't see myself on equal, or even close to the same level as you all. One day I might be, though, and then I can fully be part of the Akatsuki. Until then, please take care of me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Edited 9/15/16
> 
> AN2: Posted to AO3 from FanFiction.net as of July 9th, 2018


	6. Focus

A month passed and Cho was finally allowed to enter Amegakure. She'd been vetted and approved and no longer had to reside in the cave. The city itself was unfortunately designed with a dark and dreary color scheme and oddly twisted buildings. The endless rain only added to the gloomy atmosphere. It was nice to sleep in a real room, though, rather than one created by what was essentially earth elemental magic. Cho still had a chakra void and was unable to sense or use chakra in any form. While the lack of chakra made her unable to learn most of the ninja arts, she was still pleased with her progress. The witch stayed busy, training under Itachi whenever he was free and learning as much as she could from Konan.

The villagers treated Cho with reverence as she was under the care of their Lady Angel. It was unusual to experience, especially since it felt like she was taking advantage of these waterlogged people. It often rained in London, but at least she always had an escape from the dreary grey clouds then. The witch continued to be impressed by the resilience of civilians and chakra users in this world. In some ways, this world seemed far behind hers as it lacked both the technological improvements of her world's Muggles and the magical innovations common to witches and wizards. On the other hand, the little she'd seen of medical knowledge regarding chakra and the human body was highly complex. If she hadn't had prior history investigating how an inhuman force interacted with the body, mind, and soul, Cho would've been lost in all the technological jargon of iryō ninjutsu.

Today had been busy, the same as it had been for the past few weeks. Since she was now a provisional member of the Akatsuki, Cho had many new skills to learn. She spent the morning with Konan, going over various figures for the village. While Cho hadn't considered finances or infrastructure particularly interesting back home, here she used her understanding of bureaucracy to help keep this fledgling village afloat. After a full morning of planning with Konan, she followed Itachi to continue her training.

"You've improved your physical fitness. Your taijutsu skills are comparable to that of an Academy student." Itachi had made her run every day while wearing weights. It was seriously uncomfortable, but it had clearly started to pay off.

Cho felt proud of her quick progress but was amazed that her current ability could be trumped by children. Children grew up faster here, a fact she found very problematic. The witch wouldn't give up, though. She knew it was critical that she improved her physical strength and stamina, otherwise she was just a dead weight for the rest of the Akatsuki. Until she could defend herself without her wand, she was too weak for her current environment.

During the past month, Cho met some of the other members of the organization. They were terrifying. The other Akatsuki members made her feel so small and insignificant. Kakuzu the bounty hunter, with his imposing size and gruff mannerisms, made her feel like she was worthless. He apparently had the unfortunate problem of consistently killing his Akatsuki partners. Sasori the puppet master, with his inhuman form and critical eyes, made her feel like an insignificant test subject. He made human puppets and hated to be kept waiting. Zetsu the plant man, with his dual personality and frightening appearance, made her feel like walking food. He could travel through solid structures with ease, making Cho feel like there was no privacy to be found with him nearby. She was informed that the man who had attacked her, Orochimaru, had once been part of the Akatsuki. He summoned snakes and was skilled in poison and ninjutsu in addition to being extremely powerful. He'd abandoned the Akatsuki after an incident with Itachi and was wily enough that his former partner, Sasori, had been unable to drag him back.

Cho sometimes wondered if Konan, Pain, and Itachi purposefully isolated her from the other members until it was too late for her to back out gracefully. It would've been nice to have more of warning about what she was joining before she agreed. Obviously, mercenary didn't carry the most positive of connotations, but Cho could never have imagined the members to be this deadly. Rather than focusing on the less than pristine nature of the Akatsuki, Cho tried to preoccupy herself with her current set of pushups and crunches.

As Cho continued training her body she considered what she knew about the various members of the Akatsuki. She'd met six of the current members and one ex-member so far. Everyone worked in pairs, but she'd primarily met fragmented partnerships. The lifespan of an Akatsuki member seemed to fall on the extremes, being extremely long or extremely short. Kakuzu and Sasori dabbled in immortality, while Itachi's former partner and all of Kakuzu's previous partners had been killed shortly after joining the group. Cho didn't want to live forever, but she also didn't want to die the first time she left the protected area of Amegakure.

The main members of the Akatsuki wore nail polish and rings. There were ten rings in total, each worn on a different finger of each member. One ring was missing, as Orochimaru had taken his with him when he defected. She didn't like the idea of leaving an important item with a member who turned traitor. Even if she wasn't completely dedicated to the goals of the Akatsuki herself, she didn't like to leave loose ends.

Cho was fairly certain the rings were more than just symbolic since from what she could tell, only ten members would fully participate in the grander plans of Pain. She knew of several missing-nin that were being considered as potential new members of the group, but the current lack of cohesion between everyone worried her. There was at least one other current member she hadn't met yet, and the layers of hidden information frustrated her.

Sweat dripped from her brow as Itachi continued to challenge her body to its limits. In many ways, this was the best she'd felt in a long time. Back at home, she'd had too much time alone, too much time to dwell on her thoughts of the past. Here, her research and actions had direct results. She could see the improvement in the way the village progressed and how her own standing in the Akatsuki steadily increased. Unlike the cold chambers of the Department of Mysteries where she could hide behind a pseudonym, here she was forced to be herself and directly face the consequences.

Here she was forced to figure out a new sense of purpose and consider what she knew to be morally sound. Cho put some trust behind Konan's words and Itachi's guidance, but at the same time, she knew it was important to establish her own boundaries. She wasn't a bad person, but she wasn't a good person either. Her hands weren't clean; she'd done things as an Unspeakable that were comparable to Orochimaru's experiments. When Cho read through the notes left behind in his lab, she wondered when she'd become so single-mindedly numb in the pursuit of knowledge. Sometimes she wondered where everything came from, and when she'd become so cold.

A shuriken flew by, whooshing shockingly close to her right ear. Apparently, her musing had gone too far again. It was interesting how she was always being taught defense by boys younger than herself, teens forced to be strong in a world that made them grow up too fast.

Cho shook her head, trying to reestablish a sense of focus. She could worry about Orochimaru and her own questionable judgments once she was away from this muddy field. The witch made a mental note to ask Konan and Itachi about Orochimaru in detail. The witch had been helping where she could with magic, strengthening the protections of the base and making the Akatsuki robes impervious to water and other contaminants. If she was to use her magic on a grander scale, like summoning the ring back from Orochimaru, she'd need to know more about her target.

"I'm sorry, I'll be better!" Cho gasped out, dodging more blunted metal weapons that came soaring at her. Itachi could be quite vicious during evasion practice. She smiled, feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, but altogether content. She could do this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Edited 9/15/16  
> AN2: Posted to AO3 from FanFiction.net as of July 12th, 2018


	7. Goal

Cho liked to consider herself an intelligent woman. She had been a good student, and later, a good Unspeakable. Her professors had loved her at Hogwarts, and she'd never had much trouble understanding the theory behind subjects. So, it was troubling that she still didn't know what to do about her Akatsuki situation.

She knew there was something less than savory about the group. While in Ame, the villagers seemed to care for Konan and to a lesser extent, herself, by association, everywhere else she'd accompanied an Akatsuki member, they seemed to be followed by fearful gazes. She knew that shinobi and kunoichi were treated with polite suspicion by civilians in general, as the ninja code of morals was different than that of an average villager, but when she observed other ninja in the villages, they didn't have a path cleared for them so soon. Perhaps it was just respect and she was being paranoid. But something told her that this was important and she probably shouldn't be a part of the group.

On the other hand, she'd been given a chance to let loose in a way she'd never done before. Even as an Unspeakable there'd be certain rules she had to follow. She'd pushed the boundaries a few years ago, but had been sent to do paperwork instead for her daring. It was frustrating to need governmental approval for every new idea that came to mind. She didn't like to be limited.

The Akatsuki had never harmed her ever since her first meeting with Itachi. There'd been an implied danger if she'd refused their offer to join them, but she hadn't been treated like a prisoner. Konan was teaching her politics and Itachi was training her. Cho hadn't talked to Pain recently, but he was the one who knew she was a stranger to this world from the beginning and sent his members orders to approach her in the first place.

Pain's Rinnegan were what allowed him to notice her arrival in the forest. Kekkai Genkai confused Cho, as the genetic theory seemed dubious and the abilities overpowered. She was grateful to have been found, however. The witch had no desire to be someone else's test subject and from the notes Orochimaru had left behind, he was far more ruthless than she was, acting upon ideas that she'd only ever contemplated in the recesses of her mind. She knew the basic abilities of the Akatsuki members thanks to her study of Bingo Books, and was amazed and horrified by their listings inside.

She wanted to build up her physical strength to a point where she could gracefully lose to Itachi and Konan rather than immediately becoming overwhelmed. She'd never been a powerhouse like many ninjas were, but she wanted to know enough that she could minimally protect herself. Cho didn't want to be left behind, no matter what she was doing.

The witch sat outside under a large standing umbrella and watched the rain fall as she tried to figure out what to do. She hadn't shared all her abilities with the Akatsuki. Cho had learned enough about the monetary system and the way village policies regarded visitors. She knew what civilians and ninja dressed like, and she knew could read at the equivalence of a young Academy student. Her translation spell worked, and she'd tested it with Konan. Her way of speaking was heard as older, more formal way of speaking, and while technically correct, could be stifled in meaning. She heard dialogue that also felt stiff, but it was enough to understand.

The Akatsuki knew what she could do with Transfiguration as she'd shared her knowledge with Itachi. They knew of the other main topics such as Potions, Charms, History, and Herbology, but only the basic description, none of the applications. As she didn't have chakra, chakra sensors wouldn't be able to track her. WIth her disillusionment spell she'd manage to hide her sweets from Itachi, so was fairly confident that she could hide from any ninja visually. Her biggest problem was that she was still too loud and her natural smell could probably be tracked. She supposed a silencing charm on her shoes could help as she wasn't light enough on her feet like true ninjas and she could neutralize her smell with poultices made from local herbs, so in a way, she was untouchable. She'd visited villages in the land of Fire, Wind, Rain, and Grass since her arrival three months ago. She knew enough about those locations that she could apparate if needed. She'd be tired afterward, especially if she went farther outwards, but it was a feasible means of escape.

Cho had been trying to reverse engineer the spell to make Portkey's since her arrival several months ago. She knew that the spell was Portus and that if done successfully would cause an object to flow bright blue upon creation, and then activation. She'd steadily practiced with small objects like pebbles until she'd managed to make them disappear and reappear in another location. Once she had consistent travel, she tested using live animals. There were, unfortunately, or fortunately for her, many rat and mice infestations in the city. After many tests with the animals surviving the process, she felt ready to test with real humans. Kazuku was her assistant in this case. As he went out for bounties quite often, he knew about expendable humans. He'd reluctantly agreed to let her accompany him on his next search after she explained how she could charm items to be unbreakable, and if they were wanted dead or alive, she could test her new spell on them. After 5 successful human tests, she felt prepared to use it herself.

In her arsenal should she decide to escape the Akatsuki and try to live on her own, she could camouflage herself, travel long distances almost instantly as long as she'd been there before, extend her food supplies, always have water, and should she get desperate enough, control, torture and kill those that endangered her. The only problem would be that'd she'd constantly have to be on the run. Sasori had a spy network that she only knew of, with no details about how or who he got his information from. Zetsu could travel through ground and flora, meaning she'd always have to be on guard. Plus, then she'd be alone. Since arriving here, even if she was afraid of some of the members, being with the Akatsuki had given her people to interact with on a daily basis. Cho didn't like to be alone.

Plus, if she did leave, she still had no solid plan. Libraries with information around space-time were limited. Scrolls were closely guarded and she wasn't at a level where she could understand the theoretical jargon of more detailed research. Was it better to stick with the evil she knew or go forth into the unknown? Cho would like to be strong. She could be and had made herself be so before. It was just nice to rely on others again. It was nice to have people she could share information with. As an Unspeakable, she hadn't been allowed to share any of her work with Marietta, and that lack of trust had driven a barrier between them. What was the point of living here if all she did was survive? If she was joining a morally ambiguous group, at least she was doing something other than just trying to survive like a common animal.

She was fairly certain they trusted her, or at least as much as they trusted any other member. After all, Cho had suggested a way for the group to regain Orochimaru's ring without the risk of a confrontation with the snake summoner.

When Cho brought the idea of retrieving the Akatsuki ring from Orochimaru to Konan she wasn't sure what to expect. On one hand, if she was successful it'd be a great benefit for the group and show her usefulness. If it didn't work, however, exposing that man to more intrigue surrounding her existence could bring unnecessary conflict. The witch was hopeful that her plan would work, however, it was just up to Konan, and then the rest of the group to decide if it was worth it. Since Orochimaru was the type of person to keep his disembodied forearm and Akatsuki ring as a trophy, in principle the ring should be wherever Orochimaru was. While distance shouldn't matter for the Summoning Charm, the Elemental Nations were large and relying on magic to protect the ring from being snatched back was an unnecessary risk. So, Zetsu would scout out Orochimaru's current location and return to the group with the coordinates. Then, whichever member was available at the time (besides Zetsu - she didn't want to be eaten thank you very much) would accompany her to the general area, just far enough away that they wouldn't be noticed unless Orochimaru had an active high-level sensor. Then, Cho would summon the ring. Once the ring was secured, the pair would return to the main Akatsuki base to deliver the ring to Pain. At this point in time, the group was still very small. Pain and Konan typically staid in Amegakure as they managed everything on a larger scale. Kazuku often went out for bounties to fund the Akatsuki, and Itachi took missions from various villages. Sasori also performed missions and bounties, though he focused on his art more. FInally, Zetsu was off collecting information. She doubted that they'd act upon her plan until they had more members so they could spare a money-earning member on their trip, but she felt like it was a good start.

Konan had tentatively approved the plan and brought it to Pain for his consideration. He proved Cho's suspicions correct in that she'd have to wait until more members joined. While the Elemental Nations were certainly vast in their own right, high-caliber kunoichi and shinobi weren't being made every day.

The Akatsuki kept tabs on potential new members. They sought talent and potential flight risks of all the hidden villages. They needed to find people who could balance the current members. At minimum, they needed three new members. Sasori needed someone who could accommodate out his impatience and his infatuation with art. Kazuku needed someone he couldn't kill. Itachi needed someone who could understand him. As Zetsu was already a pair, and Pain and Konan were already compatible, Cho didn't worry about them. There would eventually need to be ten total members for whatever reason, but they needed to establish themselves as a legitimate force before then.

Kakuzu had already killed his previous partners for their hearts and their elemental affinities. Raiden for lighting, Kyo for fire, Toru for wind, and Fumio for water. The fact that the hearts allowed him to use a different affinity was another aspect of chakra natures that Cho would want to figure out in the future. It seemed a waste to lose members so frequently - she often wondered why Pain was so lenient with everyone. It had to be tiresome to keep finding S-rank missing nins to keep the group at a functioning level.

But, as long as the Akatsuki completed whatever mission they managed to pick up, Leader would allow them to do whatever else they wanted. Sasori obviously needed someone who could keep up with his many activities - mind control, spy networks, long distance to mid-range fighting style. Cho found it interesting how mind control was a tool in this world as well. It seemed there was no escape from humans finding the easiest tools they had to get what they wanted.

Cho had known that Itachi was younger than her but she hadn't realized how young! He was only 14. There was another young boy that the group was considering for future membership, though as Deidara was only 10, and still, under the watch of the Tsuchikage, he wasn't going to be available for a few more years at least. Kisame Hoshigaki was one of strong swordsman like Itachi's former partner and was probably going to be recruited soon. Cho wasn't yet at a level where she could do missions by herself, or with just a partner. She tended to join other pairs on their outings.

A paper butterfly floated in front of Cho, distracting her from her thoughts. It was a message from Konan, letting her know that they wanted her to accompany them on a new mission. As she left her resting spot to meet them, she thought she saw a hint of orange out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned her head to look closer for the unusual color, all she saw was the dreary grey of the buildings as normal. She wondered if it was just her imagination. She would've cast some diagnostic spells but she didn't want to keep them waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Posted to AO3 from FanFiction.net as of July 12th, 2018


	8. Calm

"Konan, Kakuzu, Itachi, and Cho. We've been contracted to deal with a mass murderer that's been terrorizing Yugakure. I want you four to find out who's causing the problem and deal with them," explained Pain.

The quartet nodded and went to get their packs. Normally it would've been about a week of travel time, but thanks to Cho's ability to make Portkey's, it should only take a day to both handle the mission and return. She had to be present whenever anyone wanted to use a Portkey as only her magic could ensure that it was activated properly, but it was still much more efficient than other means of travel.

It was an interesting combination of individuals to pick for a mission. Konan didn't typically take missions outside of Ame anymore and Itachi irritated Kakuzu just by existing. Cho didn't think they needed her on this trip for anything but her convenient ability to transport them all.

As Konan was a sensor type, she took the lead for the mission. She kept Kakuzu from killing Itachi and explained the plan as they walked near the outskirts of the village. There was a trail of blood leading them most likely to the killer.

"I'll be the decoy. You three observe him." Neither Kakuzu nor Itachi looked pleased with her statement, but Cho trusted Konan's decision. The woman knew her limits and if she could sense this shinobi already, she knew how much she could handle.

The homicidal maniac was equipped with a large red scythe and he approached Konan with confidence.

"Do you wish to learn about the Way of Jashin?"

"The Way of Jashin?"

"Yeah, you can kill people and cause destruction and it makes Lord Jashin pleased"

"You're the mass murderer that's been leaving dead bodies and a strange bloody symbol."

"Don't speak of my prayers with such disdain. Looks like I'll have to sacrifice you to Lord Jashin!"

Before the man could strike at Konan with his scythe, Kakuzu and Itachi jumped down to stand beside her.

"He's not a Reanimation" noted Itachi.

Kakuzu was eager to test the other's immortality, but the killer seemed more interested in pointing out and questioning their fashion choices.

"What's with your matching outfits? Are you some sort of band? Clearly the gloomy one - "

Kakuzu glowered more intensely at the man but he continued on, unaffected.

" - he plays bass. The girl, keyboards, and vocals? Or perhaps he's the vocals?"

Kakuzu lacked any more patience and strode forward, itching to kill the man.

The man let out a wild laugh, declaring his eagerness to offer them to Lord Jashin. His bukijutsu skills were surprisingly graceful but he left himself too open to an attack from Kakuzu and his extendable limbs.

"That HURT!" yelled the man, looking even more determined as he stood up, blood dripping from his chest. He formed a symbol almost like Grindelwald's in blood and wrenched Kakuzu's hand out of his chest.

Cho was shocked as he licked his hand and his body changed color, taking on the appearance of a living skeleton.

"Prepare to DIE!" He screamed, stabbing himself through the heart with a sharp pole.

Kakuzu fell, grasping at his chest. One of his hearts exploded from his back as the other man stood there with a manic grin on his face.

"Glory to Lord Jashin!" He shouted but paused his joyful declarations when Kakuzu failed to die.

"I'll crush you" grumbled Kakuzu, while the skeletal man declared almost childishly that "he couldn't"

Itachi and Konan had long since retreated back to where Cho was resting on a tree branch. Itachi concluded his technique allowed him to harm anyone whose blood he extracted, but couldn't tell why he was immortal. Under Konan's orders, he forced the man out of his circle with a murder of crows summons.

Kakuzu was prepared to continue but stopped once Konan decided they were recruiting him.

"I must spread the Way of Jashin. Your Akatsuki, whatever it is, has nothing to do with my mission."

"Join us for your mission. The Akatsuki will do anything - we're a band of killers"

After a long pause, the man nodded in agreement to Konan's request. Cho, taking his assent as a sign that she was relatively safe, dropped down from the tree branch, prepared to make another Portkey and send them back to one of the many cave bases.

"Who're you?" exclaimed the man.

"I'm Cho. And you?"

"Hidan"

"Well Hidan, I'm here to take us back to the rest of the Akatsuki if Konan so desires." Cho turned to Konan, a questioning look on her face. Konan silently agreed and Cho prepared turned back to Hidan, instructing him to join the others standing around her. She cast Portus and a blue glow surrounded the white roll of bandages. With a jolting whirl of speed, blurred colors, and indistinguishable noise, the quintet slammed down to the ground of the first cave Cho had spent time in.

Hidan fell to his knees, his stomach revolting in distaste for the quick means of transportation.

"That was awful!" he complained. Cho found it funny that a man who willingly stabbed his own heart, declaring the sensation to feel 'so good' would be so bothered by the Portkey.

"Get used to it," said Kakuzu, thoroughly done with the mission. He stomped off in another direction, distancing himself from human contact. Itachi also disappeared, leaving Konan and Cho with the disgruntled Hidan. While Cho explained the Portkey to Hidan, Konan contacted Pain.

"I'll still follow Lord Jashin" declared Hidan with a stubborn lilt to his voice.

"You may do whatever you please as long as you follow my orders."

And so, Kakuzu got an unkillable partner.

Time passed. Cho grew older. Seasons changed and she yet still remained stuck in this world. She felt like she was only holding onto some intangible goal to keep a sense of purpose in her life. She didn't feel particularly brave, intelligent, kind, or ambitious these days. The witch just felt tired. She had managed to make a Portkey, yes. Cho was also learning how to manage a village under Konan's guidance. She'd even started going through Orochimaru's notes seriously and was recreating jutsus with magical means as well. But she still wasn't home. The witch was just a stranger here, living with people who were deeply wounded in their own ways as well.

Magic had always been in Cho's life. It was all around her and within her as well. It was there, just another part of her senses. Magic just was. However, this world wasn't saturated with magic like she was used to. Instead, it was full of chakra. Now she only felt that familiar warmth when performing spells. She didn't understand the chakra completely, but she could tell it was there, similar but also different from what she did. It was as if this entire world was saturated with chakra. It was a force in and of itself. It was unlike magic in that everyone had it, and anyone could use it with proper training. The only reason she could feasibly guess as to why she wasn't dead yet was that magic was keeping her alive. She wondered if that even meant she could die by chakra means. Cho didn't want to test that idea. It was an interesting question all the same, though.

Cho was still surprised by the casual viciousness that the Akatsuki wielded. One moment she'd be listening to gossip from a client while the other Akatsuki monitored the roads, then the next she'd look back and see them in their bloody gory when bandits would attack, or an opposing group of ninjas would try and take over the caravan. Why anyone would attack the Akatsuki when they were clearly known to be dangerous entities didn't make sense to her, but it always seemed to make Kakuzu happy when they were found by someone particularly valuable.

It was interesting to see the different ways they fought. Konan was almost kind with her quiet rustling paper and suffocation. In contrast, Kisame was bloodthirsty and powerful, wielding his wild sword with a terrifying passion. Itachi was clinical and detached, a brutally efficient machine while Deidara was noisy and showy, a performance artist of murder. Sasori was startling, his human puppets performing disturbing kill shots in their own sickening dance. Kakuzu was impressive, a terrifying man with the ability to continue living through the deaths of others and a secret technique that stitched his body back together. Cho found Hidan horrifying, with his drawn out torturous display of madness and devotion. Zetsu was disturbing, alternating between a predator mimicking and devouring the dead and a strange plant-man with a different sense of humor. Finally, while Pain kept his distance, he carried himself with a strength that he was willing to smite anyone with should they prove stupid enough as to attack him.

Cho's fighting style? As the years passed she'd developed her own style and it was effective, if not inhumane. Her magic gave her a large enough advantage that her lack of refined kunoichi skills didn't get her immediately killed. The witch used more underhanded tactics, though considering ninja valued stealth and subterfuge it could be argued that she did what she was supposed to. She used her Disillusionment Spell and Silencing Charms to avoid being caught, then Transfigured the ninjas while they searched for her, surprised by her disappearance without the puff of smoke that came with a Kawarimi or Shunshin. If she was feeling particularly cruel she'd Transfigure them into an inanimate object and keep them in that form until another member needed them. She'd long since established a sense of rapport with Kakuzu once he'd realized how easy her way of dealing with bodies was. While Fuinjutsu was just as useful as her means of transporting corpses, she was a much more cost-effective way, as he didn't have to keep buying sealing materials.

It was funny how she'd fallen into a strange camaraderie with these people. All of them felt like poor excuses for human beings, and there were too many subplots going on at any point in time for them to feel completely at ease with one another. Yet, this was the closest they could all get to safety in numbers so they managed to stick together. They also handled their opposition and traitors with a rigid sense of loyalty, which was in a way, refreshing.

"He's in Iwa! The traitor lurks underground, the dirty snake." With the Akatsuki finally having defined pairs, Pain had instructed Zetsu start actively scouting for Orochimaru and the ring he had taken with him.

Cho looked around at the various members of the Akatsuki lounging in their main area. The kitchen had somehow turned itself into the main meeting ground for the group, the closest semblance to constant home for them perhaps. She didn't really want to travel with Zetsu, he was quite disconcerting. Plus, she didn't know how she'd handle melting through walls and floors - probably not well. Hidan was out of the question as he was too bloodthirsty, and Kakuzu would see no profit from escorting her. Itachi could, but he seemed under the weather recently and she didn't want to put more stress on the kid. Pain and Konan weren't free as they were too important for Ame matters to leave. That left Sasori, Deidara, and Kisame.

"I'll take you, yeah. Master Sasori would be too impatient to wait around for you to do your magic thing. Besides, I know Iwa best."

"As he says, I have no interest in going if I can't kill the traitor."

"Samehada would want to eat his chakra, not just sit idly by. Have the kid take you."

And so, Deidara made a clay bird, infusing chakra into it so it could hold two passengers, and the two left Amegakure for Iwa. They'd decided to have him fly the pair there, as while Cho had some Portkey's set for various places in Iwa, they didn't want to alert Orochimaru about her abilities. Plus, this way Deidara would be prepared in case Orochimaru noticed them, and they'd another escape route rather than just relying on her magic against the powerhouse that was Orochimaru. Cho cast the Disillusionment Charm on Deidara, the bird, and herself. While seeing the Akatsuki members was commonplace for Ame, having such an obviously unnatural white bird and two riders with distinctive clothing would just bring unnecessary attention to other places.

Cho wondered if riding a hippogriff was comparable to riding the clay bird. It was certainly large and it shifted with each beat of its wings. She missed flying, but this was much different than being on a broom. Deidara had his chakra to hold him safely on the bird, but as she lacked the ability to stick herself on the clay, she had to hold onto him.

The weather turned warmer and drier as they got closer to Iwa. Deidara looked less excited as they got closer to the border. He looked so young when the sun glinted off his face. Cho was reminded that the boy wouldn't have been considered an adult in her world. He was hardened, of course, and wasn't innocent. He'd blown up many people without a hint of regard for their lives. It was still sad to see his face grow stern as they flew over the hardened earth. He was supposed to be loud and brash, not quiet.

The clay bird stopped moving. "This should be a good distance for you to do your magic, yeah."

"Alright then. Are we staying in the air for this?"

"I'm better at long-range fighting. You'd be at risk if I was sending explosives around while you were performing magic, and as long as you can do what you need to do from up here..."

"I'll need my arms free to cast the charm. Can you make sure I stay balanced?"

"yeah."

And so Cho focused, picturing the ring in her mind. The Akatsuki rings all had their own colors and kanji, making it easy for her to picture the ring. Accio Ring she stated firmly, concentrating on her need for the ring. Moments passed and Cho wondered if she'd need to cast the spell again. Perhaps she needed to be more specific? Summoning Charms weren't her strength. Accio Stolen Akatsuki Ring. This time, Cho knew the spell had worked even before she saw the small ring speeding towards her.

"Deidara? The ring appears to be moving very fast. If I don't catch it for some reason, be prepared to catch it." There was something to be said for these ninjas and their reflexes. Cho liked to consider herself fairly skilled with her hand-eye coordination and athletic reflexes, but her Seeker skills were still quite outclassed by people trained to handle deadly weapons from birth.

Cho worried for nothing though as she caught the ring with a satisfying smack in her palm. What wasn't so satisfying was the remnants of a finger on the ring, however. Scourgify, she quickly cast, getting rid of the offending material.

"I've got it! Let's go before anything else happens."

And lucky for those two nothing else happened on their ride home. The Disillusionment Charm worked and the safely returned to their rainy home.

"We're back and I got the ring."

"She's a lot better to travel with than you, Master Sasori" Deidara complained as he sat himself down next to the puppetmaster. Sasori snorted and chose to ignore the noisy blond.

Konan gave Cho a small smile in response. The woman was sitting at the kitchen table, looking over scrolls of paperwork while drinking some tea.

"I'm glad it was successful you two."

"I'm just glad I could be of use. You all do so many things and I just assist on the few rare occasions"

Konan looked at her consideringly "You sell yourself short, you've earned the ring. It's yours if you want."

Cho looked down at the ring in her hand. Was she ready to have his ring?

"For fuck's sake, just take the ring." Cho's considerations were interrupted by Hidan's tasteful commentary. With a sigh, she cleaned the ring once more, and then she put on the ring. It resized to fit her left pinky finger, the character for the sky, 空, printed on slate blue. It was fitting in a way for a former Ravenclaw to have a ring associated with her school colors

"Now you have to stop acting so useless all the time. You're a heathen, but a competent one." Hidan was an interesting character - horribly crude and religiously fanatic, but sometimes he'd have these nuggets of almost consideration in his regard for others.

She was twenty-seven when she noticed Itachi was ill. Cho could tell when she looked at him. The lines under his eyes were deep grooves and while he tried to hide it, he coughed too often with a horrible wetness. His eyes remained red almost always now, and she often wondered how long he will last. Being a shinobi is a dangerous job and the weak don't survive here. She also wondered why Pain hadn't done something. But then again, he kept his distance from everyone but Konan.

Deidara still seemed to hate Itachi and honestly, it confused Cho. She understood that they coerced the blond into joining the group, but why focus his hatred solely on Itachi? If anything it should be for the older adults of the group. The two were the youngest here, teenagers, really. They both must've undergone terrible things to be as they were. Itachi was polite and distant. Deidara was determined and excitable. Calm darkness and bright explosions, both notorious traitors to their villages. How much of their backstory was true and how much of it was just village gossip? Cho thought kids became adults too fast in this world.

It amazed Cho that she had chosen to remain with the Akatsuki. Something about her was clearly slipping. Her night terrors had started to come back. Her first few months in this new world she'd been so overwhelmed and quite often, so exhausted, that she collapsed into a deep sleep easily. Now, though, it seemed like her darker memories were back with a vengeance and she could barely get a few hours of sleep before waking up, too rattled to try and sleep again.

Back when she still had Marietta the other witch would just hold her until they could fall back asleep. She had always been the one being supported. Maybe that's why she didn't notice Marietta was slipping until it was too late. Watching the destructive tendencies of the people around her, Cho wondered what role she actually played in the larger scheme of things.

She hadn't changed the Akatsuki into the standards her previous world would've. She hadn't gone outside of the group. Cho had isolated herself, sticking with the first people she met. For all that she was an ideas person, she barely made an effort to make anything happen. Sure, she thought about multiverse theories in between dissections, but she wasn't actively going anywhere. She spent more time wondering than doing.

Was she evil for protecting a band of killers? The witch had fortified their already deadly skills with magic. Cho had likely saved their lives with her protective spells and conventional everyday life spells at least once. She could pass as a civilian and gather information. Cho could conjure water anywhere. Her magic made her nearly limitless and highly convenient. Was she even separate from them? She wore the robes. Cho had the ring. She'd killed for reasons other than furthering knowledge.

Nightmares were bad. Things were bad. She dreamed of swirling faces and angry eyes. She was bad.

Cho had never put much stock in divination but something felt wrong in the air. There was a sense of impending dread, of choices she'd have to make. Things had gone too smoothly for her since her arrival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Posted to AO3 from FanFiction.net as of July 12th, 2018


	9. Escalate

With Cho now an official Akatsuki member, she felt as if she had to do more with herself. The previous bearer of the ring, Orochimaru, was a terrifying individual. Cho didn't think she was particularly terrifying. The witch was small and unimposing. She was physically stronger than she'd been back home, but she was still a small woman. As Cho looked at the blue ring on her finger she tried to picture Orochimaru. She'd heard about him, and read some of his work. But the witch had never seen him. Would he look like Voldemort did? Both seemed to have an obsession with snakes and immortality.

Orochimaru had recently invaded Konohagakure. Apparently, he'd formed his own village, Otokagure, and allied with Sunakagure to launch a joint attack on the village during their Chunin exam. Pain had officially allowed Itachi and Kisame to venture out to seek out the nine-tails during the chaos. For some reason, the tailed beasts were critical to Pain's plan. Cho found it a bit terrifying that chakra could be alive in such a way. Imagine if magic was sentient and could destroy entire landscapes at whim? It'd be horrifying! Witches and wizards altered their surroundings enough. Having to deal with gigantic creatures comprised solely of malicious magic would be miserable.

The witch thought Pain was awfully arrogant to decide to capture the tailed beasts. The Akatsuki were strong, yes. Pain was gifted with legendary eyes and masterful skills, yes. But taking on monstrous entities for a vague plan of world peace shared pain, and the end of all war seemed way out of their league. However, Cho kept quiet on that point. She wasn't here to debate with the man, just to ask if she could join Itachi and Kisame on their trip.

She'd be feeling restless lately, as her dreams had been getting worse. If it wasn't for her rigorous paperwork schedule, she doubted she'd have any gauge of real-time. The witch slept poorly, keeping herself going with highly caffeinated tea. The soldier pills didn't work on her as she lacked chakra, plus they would've been too strong for her anyways. Years ago she'd developed a small tolerance for Wildeye potion, requiring more of it each time she used it to stay awake. The potion wouldn't have killed her if she'd continue to use it, but her performance had dropped severely after a week of no sleep due to consecutive doses.

"What did you want, Cho?"

Cho dismissed her scattered thoughts that bemoaned the absence of viable potions ingredients and responded to Pain's question.

"I'd liked to accompany Itachi and Kisame on their trip to Konoha. I'm caught up on paperwork for this week and I need a break from the rain. And I - "

Pain interrupted Cho's continued explanation. "You don't need to justify yourself so much. You may join them, but know that it is Itachi's job to obtain the nine-tails"

"Yes, Leader"

Cho went to grab her pack and let them know that she could Portkey them closer to the village.

The two Akatsuki members agreed to Cho's suggestion of a Portkey to land them closer to Konoha. While the journey wouldn't have taken the pair very long due to Kisame's stamina and Itachi's frustrating ability as a prodigy at life, Cho's version didn't waste chakra. With a Portus, the trio vanished from Ame, arriving on the outskirts of Konoha, finding a massive amount of destroyed forest in their wake.

"Was this the power of the nine-tails?" Cho asked, wondering if she should've stayed back in Ame.

"There was a confrontation between the one-tailed host and the nine-tailed host."

"You always know the answer, don't you, Itachi?"

Cho had to agree with Kisame. Somehow the boy knew everything. She wondered if he used his crows to spy for him. Animal summons were highly intelligent, and even normal crows had a strange awareness to them. The witch wouldn't be surprised of Itachi had his own various contacts and information networks.

Once they arrived in Konoha, they decided to appease Itachi's sweet tooth and get some dango. It was cute that such an intimidating teen would still like tea and sweet treats so much. Cho had to resist the urge to pat the teen on the head as he politely nibbled at his food. The horrible hats all three of them were wearing to disguise their faces did help convince her not to touch him, though. Sometimes she really questioned ninjas and their fashion decisions. It was one thing to have a warm robe when you lived in a rainy overcast location, it was another thing to wear ridiculous straw hats with tassels and assume that would be enough of a disguise to remain unnoticed. At the tea house, another man with questionable fashion taste stood aloofly. He looked nonchalant, with his headband tilted over an eye and a skin-tight mask on the rest of his face. His hair was silver and a wild mess. Ninjas. Cho gave out a sigh as she sipped at the hot tea.

As Cho continued to scrutinize the man of indiscriminate age, a younger teen approached him. From a quick glance, he looked like Itachi. Hadn't he killed his whole family? As she turned to ask Itachi about the massacre in the most sensitive way she could, she realized she had been left alone in the tea shop.

The younger boy and silver-haired man each gave her a probing look and Cho decided it was time to get out of there. Damn that boy and shark-man for leaving her to deal with this. Sure, she was an adult and plenty capable, but still! She didn't want to have to deal with potentially not-dead family members. Was that too insensitive of her?

Cho left the teahouse as calmly, but swiftly as possible. She hadn't done anything wrong so they shouldn't apprehend her. She had just reached a bridge when she noticed Itachi and Kisame were standing in the middle of the path. She turned around and saw two Konoha ninjas prepared to confront them. The witch dearly hoped she hadn't led the duo to them. She looked back at Itachi and Kisame, and apology in her eyes. Itachi dismissed her, signaling her to get out of the way. Kisame just smiled with his too-wide grin, eager to fight.

Cho backed off, letting the two Konoha ninja realize just who they were facing. Kisame wasn't one to be left out and joined the terse introductions. Cho, on the other hand, didn't feel much like talking.

"And who's the girl?" Asked the bearded man, gesturing in Cho's direction behind the two other Akatsuki.

"None of your business," said Kisame with a smirk. "You should pay attention to your current threat - me"

"Asuma, Kurenai. Please don't interfere with my affairs - you'll only get killed. Think of your genin"

"What goal?" The woman with the wrap dress asked before throwing up some hand signs as Kisame attacked the bearded man.

To Cho, the genjutsu did nothing. Foreign chakra couldn't enter her system and disrupt her as she had no chakra to disrupt. She didn't have to worry about the blades of the bearded man either, as Kisame and Samehada were itching to fight. She watched as Itachi calmly reversed the genjutsu. How unfortunate that the woman specialized in a skill so easily overcome by Itachi's Kekkai Genkai.

Cho watched calmly as the woman was flung into the water. She was surprised by her own disdain. She was becoming more callous than she realized.

Before Itachi could continue his attack, he was stopped by the silver-haired man. This time, he was alone, without the boy with features too similar to Itachi. Cho felt a sense of relief. She didn't feel affected by the violence towards adult kunoichi and shinobi, but something about child soldiers still felt extremely wrong.

"To think that the two of the three suspicious people down at the tea shop were Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame."

"Well, well, I'm honored you know my name. Besides Itachi, you're the only one I know to carry the Sharingan." Kisame always did appreciate being recognized.

"One of the seven swords, Samahada, is on your person, isn't it?"

"You're itching to die aren't you, Copy-Nin Kakashi! Be prepared to be torn to shreds"

"...Kisame" Itachi's voice broke through Kisame's rampage before it began.

"Remember why we're here. If we take the time to fight this way it won't be sustainable. Don't forget what we're looking for."

Ninpou Suiton Suijinheki! The fight recommenced, this time between Itachi and the Copy-Nin. Kisame went back to Cho, waiting with her to see what Itachi would do next.

From Cho's perspective, it seemed to be a lot of posturing. Itachi didn't look like he was giving it his all, and the Copy-Nin just seemed to be testing the waters, literally even as one of the Itachi's facing Kakashi exploded, revealing itself as a water clone.

"Keep alert! Itachi was an ANBU captain at 13!" The other Konoha ninja looked shocked. Cho was surprised that Asuma and Kurenai didn't know about Itachi's ANBU history. They were teachers in the village, shouldn't they know the elite ninjas of their village?

"For not being a blood Uchiha you do use the Sharingan well. Yet you've yet to see the true powers of the Sharingan, the reason we're feared."

"Close your eyes, close your eyes NOW! Do not open them until I tell you to" shouted the Copy-Nin, urging his comrades to avoid being trapped in Itachi's illusion.

A moment passed and the Copy-Nin collapsed onto the water, shocking Asuma and Kurenai.

"What's wrong Kakashi, you were just talking to him, and now you've collapsed?" Asuma mouthed his cigarette anxiously, worried about his fellow ninja.

"That jutsu shuts down a person's will, right? It lasts for so long and yet so little, breaking their spirit. He's strong to be alive still… but Itachi, you should be careful - going that far hurts you as well" Cho looked at Kisame as he conferred with Itachi. For being such a large and intimidating man it was reassuring to see that he cared for his partner so much.

The Copy-Nin stood up, his voice shaky "You're after Sasuke, aren't you?"

"No, we're after the Fourth's Progeny"

Cho stared at Itachi. The others did as well. Only the Copy-Nin looked as if this new information made sense.

"Naruto. You want the Kyuubi, don't you? For your organization… the Akatsuki?"

"Kisame - Take them out. It's time they disappear"

As Kisame prepared to move, Cho noticed a green blur rushing towards them. She cried out "Confringo" not wanting Kisame to get caught by whatever it could be. The witch didn't think about the consequences of shouting out the spell, even if it was wandless. She was too late, though, and a spandex-clad man arrived with a cry of "Dynamic Entry!" and blocked Kisame from completing his swing.

"Who are you?"

"Might Guy, Konoha's prideful green beast!"

"One shouldn't take that man lightly" Itachi noted, as Kisame stared at the man's attire.

Kakashi collapsed onto the water, too fatigued from his encounter with Itachi. Asuma and Kurenai still had their eyes closed, but looked worried. They were sitting ducks, with their main defense against Itachi gone. They knew something was wrong, but still followed Kakashi's previous orders of not opening their eyes.

"Guy, you can't look at his eyes!"

"I've trained with my rival for years. You look at the feet, never upwards!"

"It's still imbalanced in our favor. Guy, Asuma, Kurenai, you should take Kakashi and leave."

"Kurenai, Asuma! Open your eyes, just don't look near his eyes. Kurenai - get Kakashi to the Medical Treatment Center. Asuma, support me."

Cho assumed that distraction would be their downfall. The moment Kakashi collapsed with a splash, Kisame would move, lunging at the conscious ninjas with his sword. Samehada would tear their skin and chakra apart, staining the water around them red while Itachi looked at them, his face cold. She was, after all, surrounded by a band of killers.

Yet as Kisame went to slice at the Konoha ninjas, Itachi stopped him.

"Kisame, we don't want to start a war. We're done here." The trio left the dramatic scene, Kisame assisting Cho through the quick body flicker.

On their way out of Konohagakure, they passed a ramen stand with an excitable blond. He was apparently their target. After overhearing his excited gestures towards the stall owner about his new adventure, the three swiftly made their way there.

Since Cho didn't know the exact location, they couldn't Portkey. Instead, the three ran at a brisk pace in Cho's opinion, though it was all too easy for the other two.

"You can fight when and where you want… but the timing was wrong to use your eyes." Kisame seemed worried.

Cho thought the whole thing had been risky, but she was busy focusing on her steps and didn't feel like multitasking by talking.

They arrived before the boy and his guardian arrived. Itachi, knowing more about the other Sanin, found a woman who'd interest Jiraiya, and prepared to cast a genjutsu on her so that she'd distract the man, keeping him separate from Naruto long enough for the Akatsuki to make off with him.

Cho had a sinking feeling as they waited for the pair. It didn't feel right to kidnap a kid. She'd just been an accomplice to murder. And now she was going to take a kid? The witch was glad she hadn't let the Akatsuki know of some of the darker magical spells. Cho couldn't imagine how she'd be feeling if Itachi had asked her to Imperio the poor woman they were setting up to be Jiraiya's distraction.

Like clockwork, Itachi's decision to bait Jiraiya was effective. The trio arrived at Naruto's hotel room and knocked. How funny it was to be so polite after their earlier violence. The silly child actually opened the door. Cho felt like palming her forehead. Why was this becoming so easy?

"Naruto, please come with us."

Cho felt her jaw drop. Itachi was so weird. Kisame appeared to agree with Cho, though when he opened his mouth to say "We should cut off a leg so he doesn't escape" Cho felt her sense of companionship disappear.

The kid didn't need to be amputated. He just needed to be incapacitated. She knew countless spells to do that, from simple prank spells to more restricting options.

Before Naruto could respond to their query, Itachi said: "It's been a while Sasuke."

Naruto, Kisame, and Cho all looked at the newcomer in surprise.

"What a special day it's been, the second Sharingan I've seen today!" Kisame always found the humor in situations.

Cho just looked at the boy with dread. She'd seen him at the tea shop, looking towards Itachi with a pained face. Here he was, clearly an Uchiha.

"Uchiha Itachi. I will KILL you."

"Who is this guy?"

"My younger brother"

"I thought you wiped out the whole Uchiha clan"

While Kisame and Itachi appeared to have a nonchalant conversation over familicide, Sasuke appeared to become more enraged.

"I've LIVED and HATED you. I've only lived to KILL you. I've lived for THIS!" The boy charged at his brother, arm crackling with blue lightning.

Itachi dodged, sending the violent charge towards the adjacent wall. He grabbed his younger brother, snapping Sasuke's wrist in the process.

"You're in the way." And Sasuke was, technically, in the way. Naruto had started to flare his chakra, an angry glow appearing around him in the process.

Before the other child could act upon his newly focused chakra, Kisame touched him with Samehada, sucking away the chakra.

"Now which body part should I remove" the blue man chuckled, preparing to incapacitate the child.

Cho made a move to stop him. He didn't need to harm the kid, she could just get him with a Petrificus Totalus. She didn't have to intervene, though, as a giant toad did instead.

It was Jiraiya. Apparently, a girl going after him was enough of an anomaly for the man to realize it was a set-up.

"It is I, Jiraiya! The manliest of men who oozes sexiness that has women falling at his feet! I fall for no woman"

"Pervy-sage that woman winked at you and you just followed - don't you try and look cool!"

"Don't call me that in front of others!"

"Pervy-sanin, priorities! Worry about these other guys!"

Kisame looked eager. "So it's the legendary Jiraiya. Well we didn't expect you to fall for such a simple method anyways"

"You know who the Pervy-sage really is?"

"...It's not like it's a secret kid"

"Using the Sharingan for a genjutsu wasn't very manly, trying to draw me away like that...you really are after Naruto."

"You're the reason Kakashi knew, aren't you? That the Akatsuki wants Naruto"

"You won't get him"

"Is that so?"

"You, you three will die by my hand. Right here and now"

"Don't! That man is mine!" Everyone turned to look at the slowly rising Sasuke.

"I'm not interested in you" Itachi was so cold, Cho thought.

"Naruto, don't! It's my fight!" Sasuke screamed at his brother egging him on.

Itachi responding by prompting beating the stuffing out of his little brother. Cho was shocked by the brutality. How could he go so far? Sasuke cried out and spat blood as Itachi continued to pummel him into the other wall that wasn't destroyed by the lighting.

"No mercy at all" Kisame smiled. He stopped smiling the next instant, though. "Itachi! Using your eye like that so many times in a single day - don't do it!"

"Argh! You Assholes!" Naruto ran at the trio, screaming with rage. But before Kisame could swing Samehada at the boy, the three Akatsuki were stopped by a stick substance. Ninpou Gamaguchi Shibari.

"You're all inside my stomach now" Jiraiya's face was serious, all previous perverted humor gone.

Itachi wasn't paying attention to the Sennin, Cho noticed. He was instead staring at his little brother, berating him for his lack of hate and strength. She wanted to rip the two apart. It shouldn't be like this. But she too was stuck in the esophagus of a giant toad, as Jiraiya so kindly explained. The witch didn't want to be toad food.

"What's going on?" Their target looked confused.

"It's just my jutsu, Naruto, it's fine"

Taking Jiraiya's momentary distraction, Kisame pulled himself free from the fleshly floor with his brute strength. Grabbing Cho's arm, he ran to Itachi, urging the two to escape with him.

"No one can sneak away from me in here!" shouted Jiraiya, but luck wasn't on his side. With Kisame's mighty sword and Cho's magic, the interior walls didn't crush them to death. Itachi looked as if he'd perform a jutsu but Kisame looked stressed, urging the teen to not use his eyes like that once again. Cho hit a wall with a blasting curse, surprised when it didn't send pink chunks flying. Itachi looked as if he was fed up and went to activate his Sharingan again. Cho was determined to not be useless, though. She called upon her darkest, most chaotic feelings and cried out Fiendfyre, burning apart the wall. The trio escaped, making a hasty retreat.

Kisame was frustrated, and asked, "Why would you need to retreat?"

"I need to rest. Additionally, Naruto will likely be around for a while"

Pausing to take a breather, Cho made another Portkey. She doubted the older man would chase after him and leave Naruto unprotected, but she didn't want to have them run all the way back. She didn't experience magical exhaustion like Itachi would experience chakra exhaustion.

Portus brought the trio back to Amegakure, with the disappointing news that Naruto hadn't been captured. News of his traveling with Jiraiya was unfortunately noted as well, giving Pain some semblance of information to go off of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: If you're wondering about timeline consistency, know that the time skips aren't necessarily consecutive. If I haven't made the timing cues clear enough, let me know and I'll add them to the "fix it" list of mine.
> 
> AN2: Posted to AO3 from FanFiction.net as of July 12th, 2018


	10. Doubt

The Akatsuki was a small organization. It had been larger in the past until betrayal had left Pain and Konan the only two surviving of the original sixteen. In the first iteration, the focus had been to bring peace to Amegakure as it had been caught in the crossfire of the Five Great Shinobi Countries too many times, the bloodshed leaving behind too many orphans and broken people. Now, Pain had taken the Akatsuki to a new level, believing that the world would never turn away from its constant warfare unless they were united by catastrophic levels of death and destruction.

Cho wasn't sure how far she could follow Pain. While on a theoretical level she agreed with Pain, that humans would inherently find conflict and ways to divide themselves unless given a common enemy to conquer, she didn't think the reign of fear could bring much good in the long run. It was one thing to think about mass destruction, it was a whole other thing to act upon it. Back home the muggles were involved in a series of political power plays surrounding nuclear weapons. No one person or country should hold the ability to wipe out life in such horrid ways. While Pain could claim himself a God, that didn't mean he actually was.

His heart was in the right place, or, at least she hoped it was, as fear tactics seemed so pointless. Forced peace didn't seem like much peace at all in Cho's opinion; who was Pain, really, to decide what was and what wasn't true peace? Would he be at peace with himself once he had placed himself at the forefront of this radical change? Unless he planned on wiping out every single possible rebel - any person who would fight and die for the beliefs, even if they ran contrary to the words of a self-proclaimed God - and even then, that was talking brutal massacres and genocide.

Cho wondered if the Akatsuki could be something better, something that really did bring the new daybreak to the world. Perhaps Akatsuki could be filled with shinobi, kunoichi, and representatives of all the villages and serve as a separate council dedicated towards peace for the whole of the Elemental Nations, not just specific countries or villages. Akatsuki could prevent tyrants from forming and serve as a balance that acknowledged the imperfections of human nature but also sought to create peace from shared understanding.

She had no idea how to make that happen, though. Was it better to stay with the Akatsuki and most likely survive, or leave them and try to live on her own? The first option meant more nightmares unless she could make them change, the second, guaranteeing a painful death if they were to find her.

"Leader, why are we hunting the jinchurikis?"

"The beast chakra will be extracted from them to create a unified weapon to bring our current system to its downfall. The Akatsuki will rise victorious, leaving scattered factions of each country to their corruption and forcing human nature to reduce conflict to the smallest scale."

"If the initial devastation of all-out war is as huge as you're suggesting it seems plausible to a point. Most people will adjust to the new reality once they realize what they're up against, leaving only a few individuals who would seek to change the system once again."

"The Akatsuki will take control in a universal manner, crushing rebellions, leaving only those who could provide the peace."

Cho wanted to ask him why he thought a group of mercenaries with negligible morals could create peace through war. As she didn't know how to phrase it politely, she didn't voice those thoughts.

Magical Britain had done many horrible things to further the livelihoods of wizards and witches. Obliviation, withholding medical treatments, denying life-saving creations from people just because they couldn't make a light come from a wand. It was cruel. Blood purity was also a giant mess. Wizards were blinded by their own arrogance and Cho knew she was just as complicit in her own actions.

As an Unspeakable Cho had done nightmarish things in the name of research and discovery. She was almost too good at her job. There was a reason her Department kept to the shadows and each division kept separate from the other. As a Ravenclaw she valued 'wit beyond measure' and had crossed a dangerous line, all the while distancing herself from fault, as it was her superiors, it was in pursuit of knowledge, of further greatness. Considering her sleepless nights, Cho wished she'd taken the Ministry ordered psych evaluation more seriously.

The witch was faced with a dilemma. Was it truly worth staying with the Akatsuki? Was her life worth more than those the Akatsuki were hunting down? Did she even believe in their goals?

Was it worth it?

Conjunctivitis! The bound shinobi groaned in pain as his eyes were damaged by Cho's spell. She admonished herself for forgetting to Silence him. While the Akatsuki overall were used to the sound of human suffering, Cho still didn't like to hear such noise. Sighing, she cast Silencio at Test Subject 089 and recorded his symptoms. Cho was always being protected by the others of the Akatsuki. While some did it begrudgingly, others offered their support freely. It frustrated her that she relied on them so much. The witch didn't want to be indebted, especially since the prospect of being a full-fledged member was becoming more difficult for her to bear. The witch needed to find more options for herself.

As the injured man continued to silently suffer, Cho wondered if she could just Vanish an enemy rather than relying on disabling them from the shadows before going in for the kill. Would Vanishing a live human kill them immediately? Or would parts of them linger, similar to splinching, leaving them to die of blood loss? While flashy spells or jutsus were fine, they weren't efficient enough for life-or-death situations as Cho wasn't much faster than the average Genin. When she was up against A-rank fighters, she had to be very careful.

"Wow, Ms. Cho is so skilled and cool!" An excited voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Who're you and why are you in my lab?" Cho did not like being bothered while conducting research, even if her methods were haphazardly done at the moment.

"I'm new to the Akatsuki! I'm Tobi! Pleased to meet you!" Cho hadn't heard someone speak with so many exclamation points since the Creevey brothers. The boys had been so full of life and so passionate about their beliefs. This man didn't seem as innocent, though. Something about him felt wrong.

"Welcome...do you need something from me?"

"Ms. Cho! I'm to be your partner! After all, there's an opening…"

"Since when?" Cho was surprised. Had someone died?

"Well with your magic it's not as if you can partake in sealing, can you? Someone here needs to balance you out." The room suddenly felt colder as the man's voice dropped. Cho didn't know how to respond. Was he threatening her?

"But Tobi can use chakra! Don't worry Ms. Cho Tobi's a good boy!" Something was seriously wrong with this man. Cho didn't know anything about him and now she was apparently stuck with him.

"Tobi, it's nice to meet you. I'm busy right now, though, so unless you need something from me?"

"Oh no, Tobi doesn't have to be anywhere so Tobi will stay with Ms. Cho and help her!" The man stared at her, waiting for her response. Something told her that she couldn't refuse.

"Fine. Kakuzu gave me free reign over this shinobi. Apparently, the bounty isn't for him, just for the weapon that he stole. As it wasn't on him when Kakuzu found him and for some reason, he didn't feel like interrogating him, so I'm to find out where it is."

"Why is he not making any noise?"

"He refused to talk so I decided to take advantage of his presence."

"You're scary Ms. Cho!" Not as scary as you are, Cho thought to herself. Tobi sat on the corner of her desk and swung his legs back and forth. The witch didn't know how to get rid of him politely and resigned herself to his presence.

Four hours and many ridiculous comments from Tobi passed before the shinobi finally broke down, revealing the location of the sword.

"Let's go tell Kakuzu, Tobi."

On the way to Kakuzu's room, the pair passed by Pain and Konan.

"I see you've met your partner."

"I have, Leader."

"Did you get the information from your test subject?" asked Konan.

"Yes, we were on our way to tell Kakuzu the news."

"You two should go with him to find the weapon." declared Pain.

"Wow a mission for the two of us already!"

Cho wasn't looking forward to it at all.

The mission was a success. Kakuzu got his money and didn't try to murder Cho. He did attempt to stab Tobi a few times, but the man didn't die. He phased out of existence instead of being harmed. The witch almost wanted to study him, to figure out his jutsu, or possibly, kekkai genkai, whatever he had that was allowing him to warp physics.

She was subsequently paired up with Tobi, alone, for the rest of her assignments. Cho never knew how she should respond to him. The witch wished she had some Veritaserum on her so she could find out what he really wanted from her. Had she offended or disappointed Pain in some way? Did he suspect that she wanted to leave?

Being part of the Akatsuki was becoming more difficult each day. Because Tobi had decided to cling to her like a lamprey, the witch hadn't been able to test out some of her spells. Something about the masked man made her feel like she shouldn't reveal any more of her abilities. Cho felt trapped. She was being directed towards a future she had no interest in participating in. She was regretting this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Posted to AO3 from FanFiction.net as of July 12th, 2018
> 
> AN2: This is where I stopped posting the story in November 2016. I felt like I was stagnating with this story and playing too close to canon.


End file.
